Our Hero Academia
by DekuPirate
Summary: Set two years after the canon, follow the lives of an OC-driven Class 1-B, led by none other than Snipe! Rated T for mature language, and potential plot.
1. The First Step

_This story is heavily based off of the anime/manga series "Boku no Hero Academia". This work of fiction may contain spoilers towards the series, as well as references and characters. I do not own any of the references or characters from the original series that may appear in this story. This work and its original characters are fictional, any resemblance to real people living or dead is purely coincidental._

 **To be unique, is to be one of a kind, unlike anything else. What does that mean in a world where everyone is unique?**

 _The world has transformed dramatically. Unique abilities that are normally impossible for an average human to achieve, are now commonplace. Nearly 80% of all of humanity is equipped with some sort of ability or mutation. These unique traits are known as "quirks". When individuals are given power, they are capable of making decisions that can affect others. When somebody desperately cries out for help..._

 _Heroes are there to save the day!_

* * *

The day before the exam, 8:40 p.m.

After flipping through a couple of pages and skimming the latest information on the hero rankings, a boy with upright soft, fluffy hair turned his attention to the glass sheet to his left.

Droplets of rain traced down the window of the convenience store, streaming towards the storm drains.

"It's a pretty wet day today. I wish I knew it was gonna pour. Would've brought an umbrella..."

A taller boy handed the convenience store clerk ¥1,100, and received a plastic bag containing the items he'd just purchased. After briefly thanking the part-time worker, he approached the boy next to the window.

Groaning, he curtly replied. "Quit your whining, Rock. I even bought us the good stuff tonight, to y'know, celebrate."

Rock stared with an unimpressed expression. The individual before him was none other than Akutagawa Riku, holding up a plastic bag containing two packaged bowls of instant noodles. Riku is a light skinned male, who has short spiky black hair with bangs that are brushed to the right, and irises revealing a brilliant golden hue. He stood at a modest six feet tall, possessing a lean, muscular build. He sported a black hooded jacket along with faded blue jeans, and gray skate shoes. He was the man who had it all. Looks, brains, talent, but most of all, he had a monstrously powerful quirk. Although Riku was definitely his closest friend, Rock couldn't help having his occasional periods of envy.

He let out a small chuckle. "Nice to see you really splurged on those ¥500 noodles!"

"Hey, I said I'd treat us tonight. Only the best, right?"

"So what are we celebrating anyways? The U.A. entrance exam is tomorrow."

"I don't know, I guess your dedication for following my training regimen?" Riku replied, scratching the side of his head.

Rock tilted his head slightly and revealed a gleeful smirk. "Oh, right. I guess I forgot about that."

 _Never felt like I'd made much progress, standing next to Mr. Perfect himself._

It was a grueling series of trials, attempting to gain control of his wild quirk, while simultaneously forging his body into one befitting a hero, as well as keeping up with his studies. After all, the U.A. entrance exam had a written and practical skills portion. Although it was difficult to wake up early in the morning and continue each and every day, Rock had stuck to the training regimen Riku cooked up in order to ensure his friend had a good shot at passing the entrance exam. Riku had given him support along the way, doing his best not to show any leniency, it was in his friend's best interest.

Riku pulled his jacket's hood over his head, preparing to exit the building and proceed into the heavy shower.

"Yeah, I think we're all set for tomorrow. Let's head back to my place."

With a quick nod, Rock followed Riku out of the convenience store. As the sliding doors of the establishment opened, the clerk bid farewell to the two youths and waved contently. Rock rotated backwards and reciprocated the gesture as he backtracked out of the building. Due to his negligence, he was on course for a collision with a young stranger. Before Riku could say anything, the collision had already begun.

"Oof!" grunted the stranger, who was surprised but for the most part unsettled, and unshaken.

Rock on the otherhand, had taken a short fall. Normally a fall of that caliber isn't worth fretting about. Unfortunately, today was looking to be a contender for the rainiest day in a long while. The boy scrambled in a large puddle, checking to see if his phone had taken any water damage. Thankfully, no damage was sustained.

A hand was extended towards the fallen individual.

"Are you alright? You took quite a nasty fall. There's some insane downpour today."

Rock looked upwards and saw a slim boy offering a hand to help him up. After accepting the assistance with an apologetic smile, Rock stood up and continued to examine the person he had just collided with. Upon closer inspection, he was slender and thin, looking just a level away from fragile. He appeared to be roughly five feet and six inches or so, with pale white skin and straight soft blue hair of medium length. The boy's polite mannerisms combined with the glasses he wore, gave the impression that he was of the studious archetype. He wore a light blue polo shirt and navy green raincoat, black jeans, and black canvas shoes. He began to mutter to himself about the now seemingly harder rain.

"I certainly hope it isn't this bad tomorrow... It would make taking the exam difficult."

That caught Rock and Riku's attention.

With an eyebrow raised, Riku questioned, "Exam? You taking the U.A. entrance exam too?"

"Yes I am. Are you also taking it tomorrow?"

"Yeah, me and Rock both are. We're passing for sure."

Kazuto pushed up his glasses and glanced over at Rock. "So his name is Rock, hm? My name is Fujimoto Kazuto, nice to meet you." He turned towards Riku, "And you are?"

Before Riku continued, he gestured to move the conversation under some cover to protect themselves from the weather. After taking shelter under another building's eave, Riku cleared his throat and began to elaborate for Kazuto.

"His real name is Ishikawa Rokuro, but everyone just calls him 'Rock' for short. The name's Akutagawa Riku."

"I see! That's actually kind of neat. I hate to run, but it's getting pretty late and I need a good night's sleep. Good luck on tomorrow's exam, Riku and Rock. Maybe I'll see you at U.A." Kazuto expressed a warm smile before waving and walking home.

"Oh, that's right. It is pretty late isn't it?" Rock checked his phone and read the time aloud. "It's 8:46 p.m., let's head over to your place already."

Rock and Riku headed towards their apartment complex. Rock and his parents lived in A5 on the top floor, and Riku and his parents lived in A3 on the top floor as well. After climbing a total of five stories, the two gazed outward at the view of the city that the top floor provided. Fumbling in his pocket for his keyring, Riku opened the door to his family's apartment. Riku threw his shoes off towards the shoerack beside the door, and tossed his jacket onto the living room's couch. Rock stepped inside, and slipped his soaking wet shoes off, setting them neatly besides Riku's tossed pair.

"Hey, I'm gonna start making these noodles already! I'm hungry as fuck."

Taking a seat on the couch, Rock began scrolling through his phone. "Okay, sounds good!"

"Need a drink?" Riku turned the sink's faucet and filled a pot halfway with water, before placing it on an electric stove and cranking the heat to high.

"I'll grab something from the fridge in a sec."

As he headed towards the fridge, his eyes did not leave the screen of his phone. It wasn't a problem, since he'd been in the apartment more times than he could reasonably count.

"Don't tell me you're googling _'Things to do before taking the U.A. entrance exam'_ again," Riku teased.

Removing the cap on a refrigerated bottled water, Rock hid his phone behind his back before taking a drink.

"So what if I am? Can you blame me for being a little nervous? A huge amount of students from all over Japan apply to U.A., only like 5% of them get in. You're not worried we won't pass even a little bit?"

With a pompous chuckle, Riku shook his head "I'm not worried that WE won't pass. I'm a shoe-in. Plus, I'm pretty sure that percentage isn't accurate."

With a grumble, Rock turned around with an embarrassed grimace splashed on his face, and sat back down on the couch.

 _Figures Riku would say something like that. Worst of all, he's right. There's no way he wouldn't get into U.A. Me on the other hand..._

"Yeah, I'm definitely a shoe-in and all, but I'm not worried about you either. After all, you've worked harder than anyone I know to get to this stage, albeit a preliminary one. Sticking to the Riku regimen is not an easy task. Hell, I'd be surprised if U.A. does anything as rough."

His frown reversing, Rock put away his phone and turned his attention to Riku. "Yeah, yeah, _fantastic_ regimen."

Riku threw the packaged noodle bowls over towards Rock, the fluffy-haired boy fumbled to catch them. Riku then walked over with the pot of boiling water as Rock peeled the top plastic of the bowls, and released the hot liquid into the noodle containers. With two forks in hand, Rock placed a fork on top each of the bowls to keep the plastic covering held down properly, allowing the noodles to cook.

After a short while, the two peeled off the plastic cover completely and began to enjoy the warm meals.

Finishing the noodles in record time, Riku placed the bowl and fork onto the table in front of the couch. "Alright, get out. I wanna get to sleep."

Barely halfway finished, Rock stiffled his coughing, eyes widened from surprise. "I haben eben finished my noobles!"

"Come on, we've got a long day tomorrow. Just take the noodles next door. Also, pay me back someday."

With a sigh, Rock turned away and stood up from the couch and headed for the door. "I'll see you tomorrow, don't oversleep."

Riku shot him a smug smile and waved as his guest left the apartment.

After exiting the apartment, the boy checked his phone to see how late it was. "Ugh..." He groaned, leaning against the apartment complex's balcony railing.

 _It's already 10:30 p.m. Come on already... quit being nervous. Riku believes in me already, why can't I?_

Deep in contemplation, he felt it was time for some review. Ever since the boy was little, he'd been altruistic and willing to assist others in their time of need. However, being a professional hero called for a different level of selflessness. Would he have the resolve to sacrifice himself for others when it really counted?

Suddenly, his phone vibrated, notifying him that _Yahoo! News_ had another trending villain-related incident.

 **Unknown individual attacked in alley by villains!**

Rock's eyes blinked with disbelief, yet refused to leave the screen.

 _That could've been me or Riku..._

 **A nearby witness claims to have heard a loud 'booming' noise, before seeing an unidentified youth sprint away from the scene at roughly 9:00 p.m. Police have conducted an investigation regarding the incident.**

The light from the device faded away as the boy clicked the top right button before sliding it into his pocket. After one final gaze of the city and its radiant light, Rock opened his home's apartment door and prepared for the morning ahead.

* * *

Day of the entrance exam, 5:00 a.m.

Rock had just finished preparing for the exam, packing exercise clothes and extra writing utensils and supplies in the event U.A. did not supply them (which was a slim chance to begin with). His phone vibrated in his pocket, spurring the boy to check the cause.

 _"YOOOOO im outside! lets pass this exam boy"_

An uneasy feeling coiled in his gut, yet he was filled with anticipation. Scrambling to see if he needed anything else, a sigh of relief escaped his mouth after confirming everything had been prepared. With a quick slide to the right, he found himself in front of his full body mirror to do a quick once-over. Soft and fluffy, upright hair stood upon his head. It's hue was a muted white, with splashes of black thrown into the mix. Rock had light caramel skin, and black irises. His physique wasn't as built as Riku, however it was nothing to sneeze at. Lean, yet toned and muscular, he stood a few inches below his friend, at five feet and ten inches. Today he was wearing his middle school uniform, and a dufflebag hanging on his right side, filled with the extra clothes and supplies for the exam.

Straightening his posture as he gazed upon his reflection, he paused and took in all of his progress from training. Lips twitching slightly upwards, he shook his head and clapped his face with his palms, a determined glint shining in his eyes. With a nod, he took off to meet up with his neighbor.

* * *

Day of the entrance exam, 6:00 a.m.

Rock and Riku stood at the gates of U.A. High, the #1 ranked High School for heroics, considered the top Hero Academy in the world.

"This place is enormous!" Riku said, mouth agape with disbelief.

Furrowing his brows and mustering a nervous grin, Rock's body shook as he nodded slightly, gesturing his agreement.

Placing a hand on the shivering boy's shoulders, Riku turned to face Rock. "Now listen here. You've shed blood, sweat and tears to reach this point. Don't let that go to waste."

Rock's expression softened.

"'Cause if you fuck up here, I'm going to leave you behind!" Riku let out a hearty laugh.

"Wha-! That's not funny Riku!" Although there was definitely some truth in his words, Riku had successfully calmed him down, allowing Rock to properly prepare himself for the trials ahead.

A familiar face caught Riku's attention. Walking past the two was Kazuto, the polite glasses-wearing student they bumped into just yesterday.

"Oh hey ther-!" Rock froze, as he noticed Kazuto's haggard trudging. His eyes were sunken in, dark shadows forming just below them, not to mention his hunched posture.

"I guess he didn't get a good night's sleep. Good thing I told you to go home, right?" Riku continued on ahead towards the designated meeting area, a lecture hall large enough to be a concert auditorium.

"Hey, wait up!" replied Rock, increasing his pace, he caught up to Riku as the two entered U.A. High.

As the two entered the lecture hall, the room was lit by the soft light of early morning shining in through the large windows. They were greeted by what looked to be security guards wearing black suits, just as a precaution. With a serious expression, they managed a small smile and extended their arm gesturing to take a seat anywhere in the hall's vast sea of seats.

U.A. was a prestigious school, but it was prone to exposure of villainous activity. The villain alliance was formed two years ago, the main aggressor towards the academy. Ever since then, the school has done its best to ensure the safety of all students attending. Additionally, the curriculum has spiked in difficulty, to challenge the strong, and deter the vulnerable.

"Oh," Rock paused, running his fingers through his hair as he inspected his surroundings. A warm grin grew on his face as he nudged Riku. "This place is pretty cool, huh? There's a huge amount of students from other schools here."

Riku quirked a brow, nonchalant and uninterested.

As Rock surveyed the students surrounding them, he noticed Kazuto once again, taking a seat. Biting his lip, he considered walking over and checking his condition, although hesitation got the better of him. Still, anxiety stirring in his chest, he could not sit still.

Riku placed his left elbow on the desk in front of him and rested his head on his palm. "Listen, I don't think you have the luxury of worrying about others right now. You ought to focus on what's in front of you."

With a nod, Rock decided to stay seated and prepare for the trial ahead.

Kazuto stared at his hands. Cold and moist, he shed a chilling sweat. There was a dull itch that flared along his neck, tingling and causing him to fidget in irritation. With a huff, he rubbed his biceps and stared forward with a determined glare.

He began to mutter under his breath, _"I'm not going to fail. I chose this route, and I will definitely not fail."_

Huge curtains rolled over the large windows, covering the warm light and blanketing the lecture hall in darkness. After several seconds, spotlights flashed onto the center of the stage, revealing the presence of a creature resembling a mouse, or some sort of dog or bear. Much to the majority's surprise, it began to speak into the microphone sitting on the podium.

"Hello students, I'm grateful for all of you being here today. Before we begin, I'd like to introduce myself and explain the entrance exam in detail. My name is Principal Nedzu, the principal of U.A. High. It's a pleasure to meet you all."

A large flat television screen descended from the ceiling about 10 meters away from Principal Nedzu, and blinked on to display the rules of the exam.

"Now, in order to give you a good idea on what's to come, we've taken the liberty of showing you with this presentation. Pay close attention, this video will only be shown once, and it's imperative you remember the information it provides, otherwise it will affect your performance today. Here we go!"

The video began with fanfare blaring, colorful stars and explosions flashing over a yellow background as a large U.A. symbol appeared in the middle of the screen. with the introduction complete, the voice of the radio hero Present Mic began the explanation of the exam.

 _ **"First off is the written exam! We'll be testing your general knowledge, don't worry it's basically the same as your standard high school entrance exam!"**_

Several sighs could be heard from around the lecture hall.

 _ **"Here's the kicker, the practical skills portion of the entrance exam! You'll all be sent to U.A.'s replica city-district, allowed to bring whatever tools and accessories you desire, I just hope you brought something you can properly exercise in! We'll be sprinkling a large number of 'villains' all across the city-district, and they'll appear in three different varieties, with point values scaled according to difficulty! With your abilities, disable as many villains as you possibly can. Your goal is to rack up as many points as you can!" Silhouettes of mechanical figures appeared on the screen, all with a point value labeled in the middle. "You are aspiring heroes, so I expect you to play nice! No attacking any other competitors or any anti-hero stuff, because that's against the rules capisce!? I'd watch your step out there, not every villain is worth points! Think of them as roadblocks or hazards! Give it your all! Go beyond!"**_

The television screen revealed an animated drum performing a drum roll, to prepare for the climax of the presentation. An explosion erupted on the screen revealing the words Present Mic was about to say.

 ** _"Plus Ultra!"_**

The presentation concluded as the television screen flashed off, and began to rise into the ceiling compartment once more.

Principal Nedzu cleared his throat once again, and approached the podium, straightening his tie. His ears perked as he let out a hearty laugh.

"You heard the man! Please follow the exits on your left and right and allow the faculty in the doorway to assign you a classroom to take the written portion of the exam. You have two hours to complete it, as well as an extra hour afterwards to prepare yourself for the practical skills portion. We'll begin the written portion in thirty minutes. I wish you all the best of luck!"

With a spring in his step, Principal Nedzu exited the lecture hall, and headed to his office. The surging crowd of students diverged into the several exits, and proceeded to their assigned classrooms.

Riku was directed to a seperate classroom than Rock. He walked ahead holding his hand up, gesturing a farewell. Rock held his fists up and pumped his chest with pride. All of that bravado quickly dissipated as he sat down in a classroom, with a written test placed right before him. As his eyes darted across the room, there was a wide spectrum of student reactions to the test. Some quivered with fear, others sharp with focus, and then there was Rock. Somewhere in-between the two, but with twice as much sweat dripping down his face.

 _It's do or die time! Go all out!_

Clutching his pencil in between his right hand's fingers, he attacked the test with vigor!

After an hour and a half, Rock had released the pencil from his grip, the crystalline carbon tip releasing a small trail of smoke. Feeling good about his completion of the written portion, Rock slumped into his desk, wiping his face with a cold rag given to him by the faculty member supervising the classroom's test. The boy wondered how Riku had done on the written portion. His expression soured as he recalled his aptitude for knowledge, imagining him completing the test in less than half an hour.

A phone's alarm had sounded, surprising several students as their heads bobbed up from their previously focused positions. The faculty member switched the phone alarm off and declared "The written portion has now concluded. Whatever you have completed will be taken into consideration for your U.A. application, as well as the practical skills portion of the exam scheduled in an hour. Please allow yourselves some break time. You will all meet up at the front of U.A., and be seated on one of our many buses. From there, you will be transported to our replica city-district, and begin the practical skills portion of the exam. Try to have a snack, stay hydrated, and most of all, don't forget to warm up before the final section of the entrance exam. You're all dismissed, please exit the classroom in an orderly manner. I wish you all good luck!"

* * *

Day of the entrance exam, 9:00 a.m.

Riku's phone buzzed with a small vibration in his coat pocket.

 _"hey dude, finished the written exam, wanna meet up befor"_

Raising a brow, he questioned why the text message was cut short.

A poke on his back stole his attention, causing him to turn around. There were only other middle schoolers in the middle of the entrance exam, just like him. Turning around to his initial direction, he was greeted by Rock appearing before him seemingly instantaneously.

"Hey there Ri-"

His greeting was cut short as Riku thrust his fist out of surprise into the young boy's face. A muffled cry escaped his lips, pursed tightly as he cradled his nose with his slender fingers. This attracted the attention of several other testgoers, although their interest quickly faded as the boy appeared to be alright.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that." teased Riku, pocketing his cellphone.

"Last time I ever sneak up on you. I swear."

Rock finished tending to his throbbing nose, and reached into his duffle bag to retrieve a couple of granola bars and bottles of water. Riku nodded, reaching for a granola bar and water.

The two expressed their relief to be finished with the written portion of the entrance exam, and continued their conversation as they walked through the halls of U.A. Before the practical skills portion of the entrance exam began, the two headed to the locker room to change into clothes fit for exercise. Riku wore a black tank top and navy blue basketball shorts, and dark gray cross-trainers. Rock wore a black, loose t-shirt along with olive green fleece shorts, and faded-out white training sneakers.

The school's intercom powered on with a small screech, thankfully not loud enough to cause significant discomfort.

 _ **"Hello test-goers, I hope you've all had a nice rest after finishing the written portion of our entrance exam. It's finally time to get on the buses and head out to our replica city-district for the practical skills portion of the exam! Once we arrive at the site, don't forget to stretch and warm-up. Although it's only ten minutes of activity, it's very intense! Best of luck, see you all there!"**_

Rock's eyes gleamed with an excited shimmer, ready to put all of his training to use.

The intercom shut off with an audible click, signaling to all who was listening that the announcement was finished. All of the test-goers followed the directions provided from U.A. faculty members, leading them to the front of U.A. High where the buses were located. Rock and Riku boarded the fourth bus and were transported to the replica city-district.

* * *

Day of the entrance exam, 10:00 a.m.

With a comforting stop, the bus stopped in front of an enormous gated area. Inside of the walls laid the replica city-district, one of U.A.'s many proving grounds. Over the concrete walls, skyscrapers were visible, the amount of detail in this replica meant for training was unreal. U.A. really went all out with simulations.

As the last of the buses arrived, all of the students stood in front of the gate, preparing for what strenuous task awaited them by warming up, adjusting equipment, and mental preparation.

Over another intercom, Principal Nedzu began to speak once again.

 _ **"Alright everyone, this is it! I hope you remembered the rules presented in the video shown in the lecture hall. If you want to give up, head back to this entrance. Do your best, I'm rooting for you! Go beyond! Plus Ultra!"**_

The large gates suddenly opened, revealing an open road leading into the city ahead. Students prepared to sprint through the doorway, Rock was caught unaware. Riku reached out and grabbed him by the bicep, pulling the boy along with the others who started immediately. A vast majority of the students were starting late. As the road widened, the crowd of test-goers diverged, finding their own ways throughout the city.

Riku picked up his pace and looked over his shoulder to see if Rock had kept up. "Hey, it's been about twenty seconds since the test began! We still haven't seen any 'villains'."

As if on cue, a three-point mechanized robot appeared, looking somewhat like a quadruped tank. Riku raised his left arm and prepared to take down the robotic villain in front of the two boys.

" _TARGET LOCKED_." hummed the large enemy. It began to charge forward, crawling at a high speed. " _DIE!_ "

Before Riku could activate his quirk, Rock swiftly leapt towards the robot's torso and jabbed his right fist into the center.

 ** _Dooom!_**

The sound of his strike resonated through the shell, leaving a small dent in the robot's armor.

 _It's got a tough shell...!_

A large metal limb soared towards the boy, Rock extended his arms and seized the strike, shoes skidding several inches backwards. With a loud grunt, he twisted his body and pulled at the metal arm with a powerful yank, effectively tearing the robotic limb right out of the torso. Continuing with the momentum from disarming the robot, he spun with incredible force and smashed the left side of the villain with its own severed arm, knocking it directly into the south side of a building. The three-pointer uttered a fading _beep_ before powering down from the damage it had accumulated.

With an impressed whistle, Riku jogged towards the boy and congratulated him on his first scoring with a pat on the shoulder. "That was pretty good Rock! We gotta get a move on, let's go. Nice job thinking happy thoughts!"

Rock nodded as his irises displayed a pronounced lemon hue.

 _This is good, I have a good handle on my quirk. I can do this!_

* * *

 **[Quirk: Mood Swing]**

 _Rock's strength, speed, and agility changes according to his mood! 'Mood Swing' was born from his father having a quirk named **[Emotional Emitter]** which displayed the mood he was feeling as a change in his eye's iris color, akin to a mood ring, and his mother having a quirk named **[Steroid]** which allowed his mother to increase her strength, speed, and agility, the power is indicated through a faint glow on the skin, only lasting in bursts of a five minute maximum. These two quirks combined and created 'Mood Swing'!_

If Rock becomes filled with rage, his strength, speed, and agility increases immensely! His irises change color to a fierce crimson. Although the enhancement is powerful, he nearly loses all control, putting himself and everything around him in danger!

If he becomes filled with sorrow, his enhancements become dehancements! Unable to channel any energy, he becomes unable to fight. This is indicated by his irises becoming a deep azure color.

The sweet spot of enhancement and control lies within his ability to stay positive and happy! His irises change color to a bright lemon. Although this is not as powerful as his rage mode, he still retains a powerful boost and can control himself!

When his irises are black, his quirk is not active, leaving him with only his base strength.

While this may seem like a powerful quirk, it's difficult for Rock to overcome his insecurities, and is often subject to situations and conversations that make it difficult to stay smiling. However, it's a true hero who can overcome any obstacle and save the day!

* * *

Suddenly, the city was filled with loud sounds produced by various battles between students and robots taking place.

After cutting a corner, Riku found himself face-to-face with a one-pointer mechanized robot, smaller than a three-pointer villain, but significantly faster since it possessed a singular wheel instead of legs to move around with.

"Riku! Look out!" Rock exclaimed in surprise.

Another villain had arrived, a large number two painted on it's armor indicating its worth in points. The robot stood on four legs similar to the three-point villain, although it looked similar to a scorpion creature with its large tail appendage.

" _TARGET LOCKED._ " Both of the robots' eyes emitted a flash of red light, indicating they had found their prey. " _I'LL KILL YOU!_ "

The two villains rushed from Riku's left and right simultaneously, accelerating in their pursuit. Riku's eyes darted from left to right, displaying an unperturbed demeanor.

The one-pointer robot raised its right arm, preparing for a quick strike whilst the two-pointer robot directed its tail towards Riku, thrusting its powerful stinger forward.

With a quick back-step, he skillfully avoided the attacks, raising his left arm and aiming his palm towards the two enemies.

A loud crack echoed, as black flames erupted violently from his left hand, sounding as if a howitzer cannon had just been fired.

The force from the attack sent the plating on the robots flying off, leaving the enemies innards and circuitry exposed, bright orange light surrounding the openings of the metal.

"Damn it! It's always so tough to dial back the power." Left forearm throbbing, he flinched at the stinging caused by his quirk's immense power. His eyes narrowed as he looked downwards toward his palm, slightly scorched.

* * *

 **[Quirk: Karmic Flame]**

 _Riku was born with an anomaly of a quirk, as if some divine entity had bestowed upon him awesome power, fit for one that is meant to stand above the rest. The destructive potential of this ability is so great, he is at risk of injuring not only other individuals, but himself as well. Although this power is dangerous, it is also capable of helping others in need._

His left arm produces black flames! It's incredibly powerful, and difficult to control to boot! His lack of control leads to his fighting style leaning to a preference of close-range unarmed combat, in which the black flames are only used as a last resort. It takes Riku a couple of tries of using his quirk, in order to fine tune the adjustments necessary to expel flames with the control he desires.

The flames at about fifty percent of his max power output have the same properties as regular fire. Going over seventy five percent will bring the risk of burning, as he had just experienced. If he brings himself to eighty percent or over, severe burns are guaranteed for both himself and his target.

His right arm produces white flames! Unlike the destructive flames that come from his left arm, these white flames have healing properties! They are warm to the touch, feeling as if you are bathing in sunlight. The flames help in the regeneration of injuries, both internal and external, amplifying and accelerating the target's healing process. The flames only heal for as long as Riku can draw them out, for this ability greatly saps his stamina.

Due to his personality, it is unlikely that he will ever use his quirk to heal anyone other than himself.

* * *

Rock sharply inhaled, and pinched the bridge of his nose with his right pointer finger and thumb.

"That was insane."

Riku shook his head with a small grin curling up.

"It was nothing much, it's still rough to go easy on enemies."

The two exchanged a determined nod, and continued on their hunt for points, dashing through the city.

Meanwhile, Kazuto's initial starting sprint had slowed to a jog. Head aching in pain, it felt as if it were splitting.

He stumbled, and leaned against a building to catch his breath. Kazuto froze, the frown on his lips bending into a snarl. Something felt wrong.

A large three-point villain had spotted him lurking around, and fixed him into his sight. " _TARGET LOCKED._ "

Kazuto shook his head, his eyes glazed over with a dull haze, staring ahead at the robot charging his way. Weaving through swipes from the enemy's large limbs, he'd managed to pass through the enemy, effectively swapping initial positions.

Raising both of his arms and aiming his palms at the machine, he released an air shockwave. The robot flew back at an incredible speed, and collided into the building Kazuto had previously leaned upon. The machine crumpled into a conglomerate of damaged parts and circuitry.

* * *

 **[Quirk: Shockwave]**

 _Kazuto has the ability to create shockwaves by firing air from his hands. Pipes run through his bones, stemming from a complex system of air ventilation originating near his lungs. The pipes divide into his arms, leading into his hands. In the middle of his palms are small air vents, where the air escapes from._

 _This powerful ability can propel enemies and objects away at high speeds. He can also propel himself by aiming the shockwaves in different directions! Every time that Kazuto generates a shockwave, the oxygen levels within his blood lower, leading to a wide spectrum of ailments from coughing, to a faster heart rate, to shortness of breath._

 _Extensive usage of his quirk in short periods of time can lead to hypoxia, meaning his blood no longer carries enough oxygen to meet his body's needs._

* * *

Looking downwards in disbelief of his quirk's absurd and unusual power, Kazuto glanced at his palms, noticing an involuntary shaking.

There it was again. His headache had worsened.

His glasses slipped off the bridge of his nose, and clattered to the floor. The small bump on the side of his neck burned as he attempted to apply pressure, leaving him in unalleviated agony. He dusted off his glasses, and returned them to their rightful place.

Once again, he began to mutter to himself, _"Yesterday when I was heading home..."_

He shook his head as he recalled the traumatizing event. Small flashes of his memory had appeared in his mind. Being dragged into an alley, approached by some strange men, forcefully injecting some sort of fluid into his neck.

That didn't matter now! He was in the middle of the entrance exam! He chose to take this test today.

That's when it had finally dawned to him.

It didn't hurt when he used his quirk. He felt good, more powerful than he had ever been.

Desperate to stop the headache and burning, he soared by aiming his palms towards the ground and firing a shockwave out of each hand. In order to slow down his acceleration, he fired another shockwave towards the ground as he began to descend. Landing at a manageable speed, he quickly looked around, searching for enemies to attack. Spotting several robots in the vicinity battling against other testgoers, he unleashed several shockwaves, effectively taking out the enemies. His attacks were getting dangerously close to the other middle school students.

Kazuto was no longer keeping track of the points he was attaining. The only thing on his mind, was unleashing his abilities onto whatever he could. Although he was wheezing, he felt no fatigue. It was as if he was surpassing his limits. Not only did he display an incredible amount of strength, he was attracting the attention of his peers surrounding him. At first, they stared with awe, until it twisted into concern and fear.

"He looks like a mess! Is he really alright?"

"It's creepy. He looks like he crawled out of a dungeon."

"Shouldn't a teacher say something? He could've taken one of us out with those blasts!"

Kazuto shot his competitors a snarling gaze. Suddenly, his consciousness slipped away. His eyes had dulled, as his wheezing became a series of shuddering breaths. His expression had become a neutral, seemingly calm face, but his aggressive tension was still thick and palpable. He raised his arm towards the other testgoers and took aim. The middle school students ran away in horror as he unleashed a shockwave from his right palm in their direction. As the clusters of students began to scatter, Kazuto continued to fire away in rapid succession. His clothes had become drenched in sweat, and his breath was dangerously short.

Riku and Rock continued to sprint through the replica city-district, taking out various enemies on their rampage. Although they continued at a high pace, they made sure to share the points when it was convenient. Riku raised an eyebrow as the duo began to pass frightened test-goers, running in the opposite direction as if fleeing from a source of danger.

"That's strange. Maybe it's one of the _'villains'_ that aren't worth any points. Come on, let's check it out."

As they continued their pursuit, they stopped at what appeared to be the town square of the replica city-district. Much to their surprise, there was no villain that could invoke such fear among their peers.

"It's... _Kazuto_. It looks like there's something wrong with him, Riku..."

Riku narrowed his eyes, and began to raise his guard.

Kazuto's eyes met with the duo, taking a step forward in their direction. He bellowed a guttural roar, and fired a shockwave towards the two.

"Watch out!" yelled Riku.

Riku and Rock narrowly avoided the powerful blast, each dodging in a separate direction. Rock's yellow irises faltered, reverting back to his standard black color.

Panting heavily, Rock struggled to find the words to express his thoughts.

"He doesn't look anything like the friendly stranger who helped me up yesterday... He looks like a _monster_."

Upon closer inspection, Rock's eyes widened as his eyebrows furrowed, revealing a frightened expression. Kazuto was near his breaking point, his body jolted as vomit violently escaped his mouth, sending him to his knees.

Riku gasped in disbelief as horror struck his face. He clenched his fists as they trembled by his side.

"Rock! Look above Kazuto!"

An enormous behemoth of a machine loomed over the replica city-district's buildings, locking on to Kazuto as he endured his body's convulsions.

 _ **"TARGET LOCKED."**_

Riku looked to his side to see the expression painted on Rock's face.

He wasn't there.

Riku looked forward to see the boy dashing towards Kazuto.

Unable to control his thinking, Rock imagined the worst case scenario as he carried himself to Kazuto. His imagination got the better of him, causing his quirk to shift his irises color to a deep azure.

Feeling the effects of the dehancement rob him of his body's ordinary capabilities, his pace slowed. As he looked upwards, the looming figure had already begun extending its enormous hand towards the collapsing boy.

After what felt like an eternity of running, Rock had finally arrived at the feet of Kazuto's body, spasm after spasm, the fallen boy's condition continued to worsen. He couldn't have weighed more than one hundred and twenty pounds.

Rock was just unable to muster the strength to lift him up, his quirk had taken his strength from him. A large shade covered both of them, the villain's hand nearing its target.

Riku placed his hands around his mouth, extending the range of his voice.

"Rock! Remember why you're becoming a hero! Remember why you're here in the first place! Get on your feet and _move_!"

The boy's gritted teeth had loosened, becoming a small smile. His irises had shifted in color, back to a bright lemon hue, displaying a change in willpower and a surplus of strength. He easily lifted Kazuto, and leapt away from the descending hand before it crushed the area. Being as delicate as he possibly could whilst running away from certain demise in order to not worsen Kazuto's condition, he couldn't help but offer Riku a beaming expression, the corners of his mouth as high as they possibly can be.

 _He always knows how to snap me back to reality._

"He looks so dumb smiling while running for his life." chuckled the satisfied pep-talker.

More villains had arrived at the scene, and had set their sights on Kazuto's savior.

 _"TARGET LOCKED. PREPARE TO DIE!"_

Several robots darted towards Rock and Kazuto, preparing to take them out. Their efforts were shut down as Riku unleashed a jet of black fire, scorching their armor and toasting their circuitry from the inside. With gratitude, Rock sent a thankful gesture by extending a thumbs up.

An audible screech echoed throughout the city as all of the remaining villains powered down, only two minutes and fifteen seconds left on the clock. Principal Nedzu began to speak.

 _ **"Attention everybody, due to unforeseen circumstances, the test has concluded early. Please make your way to the entrance of the city-district, and board the buses. You will all receive your results within the next two weeks. Thank you for all of your effort!"**_

The test was over, just like that. Kazuto was rushed to U.A.'s medical facility, and taken to Recovery Girl for emergency treatment. He was also given a mask to wear from an oxygen tank, based on the information provided in his quirk registration records. Rock and Riku were taken to the medical facility as well to answer questions with Kazuto as soon as he woke up. Questions pertaining to his unstable behavior, and near animalistic aggression.

As Rock and Riku sat down, they were greeted by a plain looking man with a stocky frame and dark short hair, wearing what appeared to be a detective's uniform.

 _Who's...this guy?_

The two boys exchanged questioning glances, unsure of what to think of the man before them.

"Hello, I'm detective Naomasa. I'd like to ask you two some questions about the boy you rescued, please tell us anything you know."

Riku sighed, before scratching the back of his head. "Alright."

* * *

Thank you for reading!

Please comment with your thoughts, I'm always looking to improve my writing. The story continues in chapter 2, along with the introduction of new characters and story elements.


	2. What's to Come

_This story is heavily based off of the anime/manga series "Boku no Hero Academia". This work of fiction may contain spoilers towards the series, as well as references and characters. I do not own any of the references or characters from the original series that may appear in this story. This work and its original characters are fictional, any resemblance to real people living or dead is purely coincidental._

 **To be unique, is to be one of a kind, unlike anything else. What does that mean in a world where everyone is unique?**

 _The world has transformed dramatically. Unique abilities that are normally impossible for an average human to achieve, are now commonplace. Nearly 80% of all of humanity is equipped with some sort of ability or mutation. These unique traits are known as "quirks". When individuals are given power, they are capable of making decisions that can affect others._

 _If being super is normal, than anyone can be a hero!_

* * *

Day of the entrance exam, 12:18 p.m.

"Hello, I'm Detective Naomasa. I'd like to ask you two some questions about the boy you rescued, please tell us anything you know."

The man's stern face struck fear into Rock's heart.

Riku sighed, before scratching the back of his head. "Alright."

The detective gestured for the two boys to follow him towards an unoccupied classroom. With a nod, they followed with an uneasy feeling growing within. As they'd entered a classroom that looked surprisingly normal for such a prestigious academy, Rock and Riku had each taken a seat in a vacant desk. Detective Naomasa rotated a desk around to face the two boys, and taken a seat before clearing his throat. Rock felt a pang in his chest and began to perspire, indicating his uneasiness speaking to an investigator. His shaking caught Naomasa's attention. The detective glanced over, realizing he had put too much effort into looking professional, the corners of his mouth quirked up as his attempt to surpress his laughter resulted in a bubbly giggle.

"Sorry about that, I didn't mean to make you nervous. I'm just trying to piece two and two together on this whole situation."

The boy's expression softened, taken aback by the man's gregarious personality.

"So what _is_ this situation anyways? Why'd Kazuto go all bat-shit crazy?" Riku questioned, noticing the detective's forehead pucker as the boy cursed.

"Before we continue this conversation, I'd like to ask for your permission to record." Naomasa reached into his large trench coat's left pocket and extended his arm, placing a tape recorder on the desk before him.

Exchanging a questioning eyebrow raise, the two boys nod their heads and consent to the recording of the conversation.

"Tell me what you know about Fujimoto Kazuto."

Rock lifted a finger and opened his mouth preparing to speak, but was quickly cut off by Riku.

"We met him yesterday at the local convenience store. As we were exiting the building, Rock had walked into him when he wasn't paying attention. After a quick introduction, we found out that he was going to be participating in the U.A. entrance exam just like us. It was close to 9:00 p.m., so we all decided to head home to rest before the big test."

The atmosphere felt increasingly heavy as the conversation continued. The tension so palpable, you could cut it with a knife.

Although Naomasa pressed his lips together as he shut his eyes, he continued the questioning.

"Was that the last time that you had seen him before the physical portion of the entrance exam?"

Riku continued to lead, "Nope, we saw him on our way into U.A. for the introduction of the entrance exam. He looked really tired."

"Alright, I see. Now can you tell me what happened during the physical portion of the entrance exam? From my understanding, that's where everything had went awry."

Fidgeting in his seat, unable to reserve his concerns whilst simultaneously failing to find the words, Rock's eyelids drooped as he could only look down towards his hands.

Once again, Riku had stayed involved on the conversation.

"Me and Rock were killing robots, racking up points. The deeper we went into the city, the more we saw other students running away in fear."

Naomasa rested his elbow on the table, placing his chin on the back of his hand. He continued to listen intently to the boys' recollection.

"He had even set his sights on us, and fired a shockwave in our direction. It was no big deal to dodge. After that he collapsed, started vomiting and began to convulse. Afterwards, this enormous robot that U.A. threw into the mix loomed over the buildings, and then locked onto Kazuto as he was on the ground."

Riku pointed his thumb towards Rock and stated "This is the guy who ran in headfirst to rescue Kazuto."

Rock stared in surprise before his face crinkled from embarrassment.

"Anyways, Rock took off before I could say anything and he managed to close the distance just in time. After carrying Kazuto, he ran from the giant robot. After that, the exam was ended early."

With a nod, Naomasa took in the information given and processed it in his head.

"That was very brave of you two to go out of your way to help Kazuto. He probably would've died if you hadn't stepped in. You have my gratitude."

The two boys mouths dropped in surprise. The corners of Riku's lips curled involuntarily-a prominent frown appearing on his face-now seeing the true danger of the situation.

"What caused him to go outta control like that? It didn't look like he _meant_ to go crazy like that."

The atmosphere had weighed down once again, as Naomasa's eyebrows furrowed, effectively masking his previous warm demeanor.

"What I'm about to tell you must stay between us. You have to swear to secrecy, otherwise this conversation ends here and you won't find out what happened to Kazuto. Because of your brave actions, Principal Nedzu and I think you both should know the details. What will it be?"

Rock immediately nodded his head, and leaned over to the tape recorder, speaking directly into it.

"I, Ishikawa Rokuro swear to never disclose a word of this conversation, other than Detective Naomasa and Akutagawa Riku, the people present at this very moment!"

It was as if Rock had taken the heavy atmosphere and lifted it ten thousand meters higher, Naomasa and Riku exchanged surprised looks before suppressing laughs, sputtering like a broken hose. Rock's face grew to a warm red as his eyes darted to Riku and then to the detective.

"Did I say something funny?"

Riku shook his head as a laugh squeezed through his pursed lips. "I, Akutagawa Riku, swear to secrecy."

With an audible clap, the detective composed himself. "You have a knack for lightening the mood, Rokuro."

"Oh, you can just call me Rock, sir."

Naomasa blinks at him, the corners of his lips curling into a small smile.

"Alright Rock."

Maintaining a kind expression, he delved into a more serious topic.

"Ever since the villain attack at the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, also known as _USJ_ , there has been a rise in organized villain attacks. I'm sure you remember when All Might went head to head against the man known as _All For One_. It led to his retirement, All Might's stamina had completely depleted leaving him unsuited for further heroics. You'll probably see him in the halls at some point, but I digress. All for One was the head and benefactor of a large criminal organization known as the _League of Villains._ Although he is currently incarcerated in a special prison for criminals and on life support, his influence and legacy have been left in the hands of a man known as _Tomura Shigaraki_."

"There have been rumors that... that this _All For One_ guy can steal people's quirks. That's just a myth, right? That's just impossible." Refusing to believe, Riku peered towards Naomasa, his expression indecipherable.

Pausing, the detective gave the two boys time to process the information before answering Riku.

"All For One's ability allows him to steal other people's quirks, and use them for himself. Not only can he steal quirks but he can also bestow the stolen quirks to others. In short, he can give and take quirks. I _know_ that sounds insane, like some kind of comic book, but it's definitely true. The hero known as ' _Ragdoll',_ member of the hero team _'Pussycats'_ had her quirk _**[Search]**_ stolen from her, causing her to enter a sort of comatose state. To this day, she's still quirkless, although she had awoken shortly after she was rescued."

Rock could only stare as his friend's face twisted in horror.

 _This was getting too heavy, too fast. We just put out feet through the door of heroics, and we this was brought to our knowledge._

 _We're just kids._

Naomasa continued on with his explanation.

"His ability doesn't have much to do with the situation at hand, although I thought it would behoove you to know, seeing as how you might interact with a villain of that caliber someday. We're concerned with his successor today, Shigaraki. As I previously mentioned, he is the _new_ leader of the League of Villains."

Riku began to steel himself, standing straighter, facing the new disturbing information. Rock continued to slouch, having difficulty accepting it all.

"Although there isn't much activity coming from the the League of Villains themselves, their influence has spurred the actions of countless individuals with ill intent. An unknown source has produced a drug called trigger, also referred to as a weak quirk improvement drug. It boosts an individuals quirk, whilst simultaneously weakening their sense of reason."

The detective slid his phone to the boys, playing a candid recording of a person in the distance injecting the drug and going berserk. The video took a graphic turn, displaying civilians being attacked by the individual.

Rock gasped, nearly covering his eyes from the explicit content.

Riku's eyes widened, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"Now we don't know _exactly_ if Shigaraki has any direct involvement with the distribution of the drug, we just know that his influence is spreading rapidly, and this is one of the results. We've deduced that Kazuto must have been a victim of a similar drug, seeing as how he did not immediately lose his sense of reasoning during the entrance exam, as a user of trigger would have. Additionally, there's visual proof of him entering the test today with a bizarre bump on the left side of his neck, thanks to the security cameras installed at U.A."

Naomasa reached and retrieved his phone, sliding it into his coat pocket.

"If what Riku said is true, about you meeting yesterday and going home at around 9 p.m., then Kazuto must have been the unknown individual who was attacked by unknown assailants. You've heard about that incident right? It was all over the news yesterday. The _'booming'_ noise that a witness claims to have heard would correlate with his quirk _**[Shockwave]**_."

"So... you're saying he was attacked, and forcibly injected with a drug?" Rock said as he covered his mouth with his hands. He felt sick, like he was going to heave. That could've happened to him or Riku last night.

"Yes, that's our assumption. Soon, Principal Nedzu will come by and join our conversation. Trigger is indeed dangerous, but there's something new on the horizon, something _far_ wors-" Naomasa was cut short, as the classroom door slid open.

"Hello, everyone. I'm here to address Kazuto's situation." said the small furry principal. "Come on in, everyone's waiting for you!"

Stepping through the door was Fujimoto Kazuto, looking much healthier.

"Hello everyone." muttered the boy, looking down as his nose crinkled, lower lip quivering.

"I'm-" He took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm truly sorry that this happened. I-I had no control over myself, it was a nightmare."

Kazuto's eyelids drooped as he continually reprimanded himself under his breath. He turned his attention to Rock and Riku before offering a bow of gratitude.

"Principal Nedzu told me that you both risked your lives to save me! No words are enough, I'm truly grateful for your help. I don't know how I can repay you both."

Riku gave a sinister chuckle before pitching his idea.

"Well since we both risked our lives and all, it'd be nice to get a reward, my wallet's pretty empt-"

Rock cut him off with an elbow jab to his side, shooting a skeptical look with crossed arms.

"Detective, I assume you've told them at this point?" questioned the principal.

With a nod, Naomasa confirmed. "Mostly."

"Alright, I've already told Kazuto all about it already" he said, turning towards the boy.

The furry principal cleared his throat, preparing to begin his announcement.

"Under normal circumstances, you would be disqualified from the entrance exam, Kazuto. Although it was not your fault, you still chose to enter the exam in an unstable condition that no one knew about instead of going to get help. Your actions put everyone around you in danger. However, you are a student who got into U.A. through a wholehearted recommendation from a top ranked professional hero. We were confused as to why you would choose to decline the acceptance and enter the exam, but we'll leave personal matters to yourself. We are willing to overlook this entire situation, although you're on thin ice."

Rock and Riku eyebrows raised as they processed this new information about Kazuto.

 _Recommendation?_

Kazuto's head lifted instantly, surprising everyone in the classroom. Although his glasses were askew, his eyes gleamed with excitement. "Are you saying that I passed the exam?"

The small principal covered his mouth with widened eyes, realizing his choice of words and their implications.

"I guess there's no hiding it. You had a point value of sixty five villain points, having dispatched numerous robots, albeit with reckless abandon. This score alone has allowed you to join U.A. Academy's Heroics Course. Congratulations, Kazuto."

A small round of applause filled the room, causing Kazuto's face to light up.

"I really don't... Thank you, thank you so much sir. I won't let you down."

The principal extended his paw towards Kazuto with a bright grin upon his face. Kazuto hesitated, and then extended his arm cautiously as it shook, before the principal tightly gripped his hand with his paw and shook vigorously.

The principal turned towards Rock and Riku and straightened his tie.

"Now, as for the two of you. I'd like to personally thank you for your selfless efforts in keeping this boy safe."

Riku and Rock's faces lit up, taken by surprise by the sudden praise. Naomasa gave a warm smile, answering their confusion with a small nod.

Nedzu laughed heartily, and continued to articulate his gratitude.

"As soon as he'd collapsed, we hit the shut-off switch for the exam, although it takes time to fully power down all of the villains. Your actions bought him the time he needed to survive. This is why we found it necessary to elucidate you on the full details."

Then, for just a brief moment, a blanket of intimidation wrapped itself around Rock and Riku, the source originating from the small principal.

"That being said, I want _no_ efforts in trying to track down who did this to Kazuto, nor do I want you to pursue any connection between the assailants or the drug. Your safety is our number one priority."

The two boys, and even Kazuto, found themselves semi-paralyzed from the daunting statement.

 _How could we even think of getting involved in this?_

"As for your acceptance, I cannot disclose that information at this moment in time. However, you'll receive a letter from U.A. within a week about your acceptance. And allow me to say, I like your chances of getting accepted."

Rock's face flushed to a bright red as he receieved continuous praise for their actions. Riku closed his eyes as a smirk of satisfaction grew.

Nedzu swiftly rotated, facing the blue-haired, bespectacled boy.

"And Kazuto, remember what recovery girl told you. You should refrain from using your quirk for awhile, try to rest. We've managed to expel the remnants of the drug from your body, but it's better to be safe than sorry. We've done our best to hide this event from the media, but there are still those who were present at the exam. Try to stay strong."

Principal Nedzu perked up and clapped his paws together, creating a soft audible pat.

"Thanks for explaining everything to these young boys, Detective. Please contact me if you find any new leads or have any more questions. As for you boys, you're all excused. Go have fun! Get some food or something, I don't care! Have a wonderful day!"

The creature happily skipped out of the classroom, shutting the door behind him.

"Well, you heard the ma... er, Principal..." Naomasa reached over and clicked the stop button on the tape recorder, and tucked it back into his trench coat pocket. "Thank you both for your time and compliance, this has been very helpful. If you ever need any help, please don't hesitate to call."

The detective handed them all their own copy of what appeared to be a business card displaying a phone number and email address. He firmly shook the hands of everyone in the classroom, and made his way out.

Riku's stomach growled fiercely, an audible grinding surprised both Rock and Kazuto. "Let's get some food. I'm hungry as fuck."

Rock nodded his head in agreement and looked over to Kazuto. "Coming?"

Kazuto pushed up his glasses with his right pointer finger, staring in disbelief. "You want _me_ to come with you guys? After what happened today?"

"Yeah, just hurry up. I'm gonna die at this rate." Riku walked out of the room rubbing his stomach with his hands.

Rock offered a toothy grin, and followed his friend out the door.

Kazuto hesitated for a moment, before quickly catching up to the others.

* * *

Day of the entrance exam, 4:46 p.m.

The final rays of late afternoon shone through the restaurant's windows, painting the interior with a warm glow. As the three boys continued towards the tiny cafe, huddled around Mustafu's large buildings, Kazuto's legs gave out, sending him tumbling forward. He desperately clung to Riku's back in order to support himself, narrowly avoiding the solid floor.

With a grimace, Riku shook Kazuto off and continued into the cafe.

The bespectacled boy fell to the floor with an audible thud. " _Ough!_ " Fixing his glasses into their correct position, he was brought to his feet with the assistance of Rock.

"I guess I'm still a little groggy from everything that's happened," mumbled Kazuto.

"Don't worry about it! Let's head inside and get you something to eat, that'll probably make you feel better." Rock dusted off Kazuto's shoulders, and patted his hands after a job well done.

Again, Rock and Kazuto were left behind by Riku. As they entered, they were greeted by a kind hostess.

"Hello there, welcome to _The Grind_. Are you with that gentleman over there?" She pointed towards Riku, standing in the middle of the restaurant with his left foot tapping impatiently.

Rock lifted his brows and rubbed the back of his neck, body aching from the day of activity, longing for respite.

 _Riku's been waiting for a whopping twelve seconds._

"Yeah, could we get a table for us three, please?"

She responded with a warm nod, and gestured the two to follow her as she approached Riku, leading them all to an empty table. After handing the three a menu, the hostess excused herself to bring some glasses of water to the table. After she'd returned, they placed their orders and started a conversation to pass the time.

"So what happened in that alley yesterday?" Riku plainly asked.

Rock rolled in his seat, twitching in disbelief at Riku's ability to ask such a question unabashed.

Kazuto wasn't sure whether to feel insulted or surprised at Riku's straightforward nature. He couldn't sense any ill intent, rather he could see that Riku was genuinely curious. With his eyelids drooping, he stared at his glass of water as the beads of condensation dripped towards the coaster below.

"Well, it was... pretty scary. Here I am, minding my own business, just walking home. All of a sudden, these two guys just restrained me, and pulled me into this dark alley. I couldn't get a good look at their faces."

The blue-haired boy reached around his neck and gently brushed the previously afflicted area with his fingers.

"Next thing I know, I felt a sharp pain in my neck. I panicked, and shot out a shockwave from my right palm and sent them flying towards the dumpsters. After that, I sprinted home and did my best to play it cool. From that moment until the physical portion of the entrance exam, I felt like my brain was going to split in two. When I finally used my quirk against one of the robots, I lost... control."

Rock could only stare with concerned eyes, wondering how this could've happened. Riku took an audible sip from his glass of water.

Breaking the silence, the hostess arrived with an assorted tray holding the group's ordered food. Riku rubbed his hands together as the food arrived.

Before she could place the tray on the table, an aggressive shout echoed throughout the small building.

"Hey you!"

A pair of hands slammed onto the table the group was at, surprising everyone in the vicinity. Riku tilted his head to the right to catch a look at the cause of the noise.

Standing before them was an agitated boy. His face was narrow and slim, with wide eyes, colored with gunmetal irises that complimented his peach skin. His eyebrows were thin, yet retained a natural, unplucked appearance, furrowed angrily at the moment. The boy's nose had a slight upward point, hanging above thin lips. Peanut-colored hair laid messily upon his head, although scattered, none hung over his eyes. He stood taller than Rock, but shorter than Riku, with a thin body structure. He wore a periwinkle dress shirt, with old black jeans and brown penny loafers. Although he looked rather average, his presence seemed to radiate confidence. It was too soon to determine if that confidence was misplaced or not.

Riku crumpled a napkin in his shaking fist, anger rising with a clenched jaw. "Motherfucker."

Kazuto's eyes darted across the room, trying to find who the aggressor was targeting. To his surprise, the spotlight was on him.

" _Wha_ -Who are you? Can I help you?"

The newcomer stood over Kazuto, pointing his finger towards the boy.

"I'm Satou Youji. One of the people you almost fucking killed during your performance at the entrance exam. Do you have any kind of idea what you did today?!" Anger getting the best of him, Satou swung his arm outward during his tirade, accidentally knocking the tray out of the hostess' hands.

 _Crash!_

The food slammed onto the cafe floor, plates shattering and silverware clattering.

Rock sat in his chair, speechless, trying to figure out a way to alleviate the situation.

Riku rose from his chair, knocking it backwards, startling all of the spectators. He approached Satou and grabbed him by the collar on his shirt.

"I've been starving for _hours_ now. Look at that shit on the floor. That was my food. The food that is now on the floor, because you _fucking_ knocked it on the ground."

Satou's collar began to singe, and the stench of burnt clothing filled the room.

Satou gripped on to Riku's left arm, the pressure on his grip steadily increasing.

Rock stood up, preparing to intervene for the fight to come.

The heavy atmosphere was blown away as a bathroom door swings open, the sound of the toilet flushing gradually lowering.

A girl darted out of the bathroom, and separated the two worked-up individuals with a quick shove. As Riku was distanced from Satou, the collar had burnt off, still smoking in his grip.

With a shriek, Satou quickly felt the torn area on his shirt.

She stood in between the two with her arms held out, acting as some sort of barrier. Realizing her brash actions, she immediately retracted her extended arms, and entered a more timid state.

"You both... shouldn't fight in this place. Besides, we're all test-goers, right? We should try to get along, we might end up classmates."

She knelt and reached for bits of one of the broken plates, but froze as she extended her arm to grab a shard that Rock had already set his sights on.

Rock looked towards the stranger and examined her appearance. She had a thin, slightly round face with pale, white skin. Her hair was a bright gray hue, which shined in the light entering through the windows. The length of the hair only reached her chin, with a side bang that curled and covered her left eye. Her eyes were pleasantly relaxed, and delightful to look at due to their soft periwinkle color, although she had bags underneath her eyes, perhaps from lack of sleep. She couldn't have been taller than Kazuto, standing at roughly five feet and five inches or so. Her physique was slim with a bit of a complimenting curve. Her most distinguishing feature had to be the small flower located on the left side of her head. It appeared to be attached to her head, although it looked as if it were just a plain flower tucked into her hair. The flower was a bright, faded yellow accented with pink stripes stemming outwards from it's goldenrod center.

The girl's eyes lit up as she saw the boy's fluffy black and white hair.

"Your hair is so nice. Is that a natural color? Can I touch it? It looks like a cloud."

Rock's face flushed pink, almost radiating a pink glow like a colored lamp.

Riku wondered whether or not it would produce a new power for his quirk.

Rock snapped out of his stupor and extended his hand.

"It's cool if you wanna touch my hair, I don't mind!"

The girl extended her right arm to feel his hair, combing her fingers through gently.

"I imagine this is what a cloud feels like. Oh, and I'm Chigusa Kotonoha."

"I'm Rock," he replied.

"Your name is Rock?" she snickered, much to Rock's chagrin.

"Full name is Ishikawa Rokuro, but people just usually call me Rock for short."

The fluffy-haired boy extended his right hand, prompting Kotonoha to shake it with hers as well.

"Well, since I'm calling you a nickname, it's only fair that you call me one too! You can call me Kotochi."

"Kotochi, nice to meet you!" chirped Rock, smiling brightly.

She continued to assist Rock in cleaning up the mess, picking up broken shards and dropped food. The hostess swiftly bowed and quickly mopped up the leftovers.

Riku dusted his shoulders before adjusting his shirt to it's correct position, as it had been ruffled during the scuffle.

"I'm going home." He marched towards the hostess with a regretful expression. "Sorry. Rock will cover the bill!"

He quickly sprinted away from the mess and headed in the direction of his home. Rock's heart rate increased, unable to properly speak as his mouth dried.

"I-I guess I got this today..." His hands shook as he gripped his wallet full of his limited allowance.

Before he could offer the restitution, Satou quickly laid ¥20,000 on the table.

"I hope this will cover it. This was my fault, I'm sorry."

Satou was clearly masking his fury, realizing that he shouldn't cause a scene. Rock could only stare in awe as his impression of Satou changed from mental asylum escapee, to rich boy.

"Let's go Kotonoha," he muttered under his breath, unable to look Kazuto in the eye.

Kotonoha stood up and waved farewell as she continued to exit the store with Satou. A small visible green pollen particle popped out of the center of the flower on the side of her head, floating towards the table, landing in a glass of water. The particle expanded as roots sprouted and encroached the glass, a stem rising just over the top rim. From the peak of the stem grew a small blue flower. Enamored by the unique ability, Rock turned back only to see that they had both left the building.

"Well Kazuto, I think I'm going to head home. Do you have a phone?" uttered the exhausted boy.

Kazuto pulled out a thin smartphone from his pocket.

"Yeah, here."

Rock entered in his name and phone number into Kazuto's contact list.

"I'll let you know if I get into U.A.! Even if I don't we should still hang out. It was fun to meet you, aside from the whole... you know."

"I agree, this was fun, for the most part." He weakly chuckled.

His expression softened into a warm smile as he apologetically waved to the hostess and exited the cafe with Rock.

* * *

One week after the exam, April 1st 1:36 p.m.

Rock and Riku sat in the couch in Riku's apartment. In each of their hands laid a letter with the results of their entrance exam.

"Alright, at the the same time, ready?" asked Rock, the sweat on his nervous palms dampening the envelope.

"Yeah, let's do this."

"Okay, on three! One, two, three!"

The two boys tore open their individual envelope simultaneously. A small electronic device popped out of Rock's envelope, displaying a hologram message. Riku's envelope contained a piece of printer paper with sloppy writing stating _you passed_.

"What the fuck. What'd you get-" Riku stared at his paper and then glanced at Rock's hologram device.

Principal Nedzu appeared, standing straight with a smile beaming on his face.

 _ **"Rokuro! I'm pleased to say that you've passed both the written and physical portion with flying colors! In fact, I'm doubly pleased to say that you did rather well in comparison to other testgoers. With a villain points score of seventeen, and a rescue points score of forty five! In total, you passed with a score of sixty two! That's just incredible! I haven't seen a rescue points score that high for about two years now."**_

Riku grumbled, crumpling his shoddy piece of paper.

 _ **"Call it a hunch, but I'm willing to bet that Riku is there watching this hologram video with you as well! Sorry about the paper, we actually ran out of hologram devices. That's never happened before, but there's a first time for everything, no? Sorry Rokuro, Riku ended up scoring just a bit higher than you! A villain points score of twenty one, along with a rescue points score of forty five as well! His total score for the physical portion of the exam was sixty six. You both seem to be well-suited for heroics, especially in the sense of teamwork!"**_

Rock couldn't help from smiling, his quirk involuntarily activating, revealing a bright lemon hue in his eyes.

"It's all thanks to the Riku regimen!" declared the beaming boy. Riku raised his glass of apple juice, toasting to their efforts paying off.

 _ **"Now boys, I'm sure you're wondering; what happens next? I'm sure you've heard, but ever since two years ago when the villain attacks on U.A. became more prominent, we've set the rule that students must live on campus in our dormitories. It's just our way of keeping you all safe, seeing as how U.A. students seem to have a target on their backs these days. At the end of this video is a .PDF attachment listing all of the essentials you'll need, as well as rules and conduct for dorm life."**_

 _ **"Classes begin on Monday, April 10th! I can't wait for you both to start your hero training! Remember now, go beyond! Plus Ultra!"**_

The video cut, and the .PDF attachment popped up on the projected hologram.

They'd done it. Their training begins in a little over a week from now.

* * *

 _Alright, that's pretty much the prologue! With the introduction of a few more characters and concepts, we're set for the next chapter! Moving into the dorms, attending class, etc. etc. Like always, please leave your thoughts and I'll do my best to improve!_

 _If it wasn't made clear in this chapter, the timeline is set two years after BNHA canon._


	3. Moving In Part 1

_This story is heavily based off of the anime/manga series "Boku no Hero Academia". This work of fiction may contain spoilers towards the series, as well as references and characters. I do not own any of the references or characters from the original series that may appear in this story. This work and its original characters are fictional, any resemblance to real people living or dead is purely coincidental._

 **To be unique, is to be one of a kind, unlike anything else. What does that mean in a world where everyone is unique?**

 _The world has transformed dramatically. Unique abilities that are normally impossible for an average human to achieve, are now commonplace. Nearly 80% of all of humanity is equipped with some sort of ability or mutation. These unique traits are known as "quirks". When individuals are given power, they are capable of making decisions that can affect others._

 _The definition of a hero is different for every individual._

* * *

Saturday, April 1st 6:32 p.m.

Dusk had arrived, and the sun was expending the last of its rays, painting the sky with a soft mix of tangerine and lavender. The warm light crept into the Satou Residence, illuminating the top floor's west bedroom.

 _It's been a week. I should be over this already._

Satou bit down, attempting to control his anger before settling heavily against the windowsill in his room. Kotonoha laid back on a beanbag, her attempt at an encouraging smile fading as Satou's furrowed brows etched confusion and frustration into his face. He shifted to a more comfortable lean, and Kotonoha tensed, surprised by the sudden movement. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she stroked the flower in her hair.

"Youji... It's fine, okay?" She suddenly spoke up, her hushed voice breaking the silence. "I think you need to move on. That boy... It was like he was someone else at the cafe, compared to the exam. It almost seemed like he was _gentle_."

" _Gentle?_ He put everyone there in danger with his reckless attacks, he even _targeted_ us! He could've... _You_ could have-"

Satou's feelings quickly dissipated as he saw his old friend looking towards him with concern. His eyelids drooped as his gaze shifted towards the window, Kotonoha still in the edge of his peripheral vision.

"...I know. I'm sorry, you're always helping me let go of things that I shouldn't worry about." Satou picked up the hologram device sent to him from the academy. Kotonoha's gaze followed his hand as he held up the device, displaying their grading on the entrance exam once again.

Satou Youji had scored twenty villain points and twenty five rescue points, resulting in a total score of 45 points. Chigusa Kotonoha had scored fifteen villain points, and nineteen rescue points, resulting in a total score of 34 points. During the physical portion of the exam, Satou had spotted a student that had been trampled by the stampede of fleeing students, caused by Kazuto's rampage. He'd stood by the collapsed individual, effectively shielding them from harm. After the cluster of testgoers had passed, Satou carried the injured individual to the entrance before the test had concluded early.

His frustration was not misplaced, as he had genuine concern of the people around him. More so than anybody else, he was primarily concerned with the well-being of his old friend Kotonoha. Having known her since middle school, the two have shared a unique friendship. Due to Kotonoha's timid nature, she had more than her fair share of harassment from her peers. This continued for some time until Satou had taken it upon himself to take the role of her protector, and defend her from those who wished her harm.

Was it because of his sense of justice?

To this day, the two had been near inseparable, aspiring to become partners in their hero career. With each other's support and perhaps some friendly rivalry, the two launched to new heights in academics and physical prowess, becoming worthy candidates of attending the most prestigious hero academy in the world, U.A. High. They were far from elites. Products of hard work and dedication would better fit their description.

Satou's eyes slowly trailed towards Kotonoha to get a quick inspection of her expression. With worry still riddled on her face, Satou could only groan before inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly.

He couldn't stand to see his friend upset like this. There were only a handful of things in this world that could turn her frown upside down. As if aquiescing to a request that had yet to be requested, he took a few steps forward and knelt down towards Kotonoha planted on the beanbag.

"Do you," he said tense and sheepishly, "want to go get ice cream? There's still over half an hour until _Haagen-Dazs_ closes."

Her eyes lit up like Christmas lights.

"Yes! Let's go, come on!"

Kotonoha sprang out of the beanbag chair, sending it tumbling backwards, knocking over a floor lamp. Without batting an eye, she grabbed Satou by the arm, and they dashed towards the ice cream shop.

* * *

Saturday, April 1st 9:15 p.m.

Kazuto's eyes strained as he checked the time on his cell phone. His squinted eyes eased as he adjusted the brightness of the screen to the lowest level. Curiosity painted his face as he noticed a text notification from Rock.

 _"hey! me and riku ended up passing the test. kinda surprised that i did well lol, prob gonna be busy until start of school, ill see you there ok? lets meet up sometime at school"_

A small laugh came out as a short hum.

 _"Congrats on passing to both of you! I hope we end up in the same class. I'll see you on the first day."_

Placing his phone on the desk on his right, he slumped backwards and flopped onto his bed. Kazuto extended his arm upwards, and stared at the back of his hand. As his body began to shiver, he clutched his blanket and wrapped himself tightly. Fear enveloped his body in a cold sweat.

Fear that he would be taken again.

Fear that he would lose control.

Fear that he would _hurt_ someone.

The thought of harming another burned in his head. His mind spun around it, unable to focus on anything else.

 _I'll definitely control myself. I don't want to hurt anyone, I-_

Horrified by his endless thoughts, he curled into a ball, shivering in the dark.

* * *

Sunday, April 9th 11:03 a.m.

The day had finally come!

The day before classes begin, otherwise known as _"Moving-In Day!"_

All of the students accepted into U.A. send their belongings and essentials in the mail to move into the dorms of the academy, and unpack on campus the day before classes begin. Rock and Riku approached the gates of U.A. High for the second time, this time as their home. Although they'd already seen the school, they couldn't help but marvel at it's magnitude.

 _Heights Alliance_ , the group of several dormitories inside of the U.A. campus.

Due to the rise of villain activity focused on the harm of U.A. and its affiliations, U.A. had converted to a boarding school in order to protect its students. The dormitories are easily accessible, being only roughly a five minute walk from the main school building. Several buildings resided in Heights Alliance, with one class per building. Among the buildings were the first, second and third year dorms.

The first floor of the building is common space, with a dining area containing a fully equipped kitchen. Students are encouraged to prepare their own meals, although there is plenty of room for storing in the fridge and freezer. Additionally, the baths and laundry facilities are also located on the first floor, both separated by sex. Aside from those facilities, the living room is the highlight of the common space. Several couches and seats all surround a large table, and are positioned towards a large flat screen television.

With a choice of stairs or elevator, the upper floors are where the rooms for the students are located. On each floor, there are two groups of four rooms; half for boys and half for girls, up to the fifth floor. Each floor is separated into a left and right wing, with boys on the left and girls on the right. Every student receives their own private room. Each room comes with an AC unit, a bathroom, a refrigerator, and a closet. Additionally, there is a veranda with a view of the other buildings of Heights Alliance, with the main school building in the distance.

Rock reached into his pocket, and slipped out the U.A. hologram device, switching it on to display one of the .PDF files loaded onto it.

In front of Rock and Riku appeared a hologram document.

* * *

 **CLASS 1-B ROSTER**

 **Fujimoto Kazuto**

 **Ayama Ryuji**

 **Chigusa Kotonoha**

 **Momochi Ruka**

 **Akutagawa Riku**

 **Hachiman Garuru**

 **Ishikawa Rokuro**

 **Chideta Maeda**

 **Endo Emiri**

 **Higashi Shou**

 **Sasaki Tamika**

 **Satou Youji**

 **Tengan Daiki**

 **Hirose Anzu**

 **Nakano Renka**

 **Usui Isamu**

 **Yanagi Junko**

 **Morino Hide**

 **Kaya Asuka**

 **Yamada Masanori**

* * *

"I guess we're both in Class 1-B then," Riku said, scratching his chin with his pointer finger, "ever since the symbol of peace retired, I heard U.A. focuses more on raising teams of heroes. It'd make sense to keep us in the same class based on the teamwork we showed during the entrance exam."

Rock shifted the stack of boxes cradled in his arms to get a sturdier balance. "That makes sense. According to the documents we received, there should be someone to check in with on the first floor of the 1-B building."

Riku nodded his head before giving him a skeptical look. "Didn't you send your luggage to U.A. like it said in the document? There's no need to bring stuff to the dorms..."

"Yeah," Rock chuckled, "I actually forgot to do that, so here I am bringing it all myself."

After a short walk, the two arrived at the entrance of the 1-B building. Suddenly, the box at the top of the stack fell off as Rock was bumped on the shoulder by someone passing by. In an attempt to catch the falling box, he slipped and fell onto his backside. Rock grunted as his bottom ached with a burning sensation.

 _Ugh. I really need to be careful. Lately I'm falling down all the time. Now who did I bump into-_

Rock froze as he saw the irritated individual whom he collided with.

The stranger's hair was scattered and hung over her face, deep purple eyes visible, shining through like a flashlight in the dark. With a huff, she adjusted and brushed her voluminous, dark short hair away from her eyes, as her pupils darted up and down inspecting the fallen boy.

Two things had caught Rock's attention.

She had an extraordinary physique, she looked like an Olympic athlete. The stranger looked around his height, five feet and eight inches or so. Her creamy mocha skin radiated in the sunlight. Although her attire, consisting of a black tank top, blue denim shorts and white tennis shoes, had expressed an ordinary sense of style, everything about her simply was not. The toned muscle which flowed from her legs to torso, around shoulders to arms and full strong neck, showed an impressive unsympathetic unity of strength.

She also had various wrappings and band-aids around her body, she must've been injured recently.

"Watch where you're going," she grunted with a small scowl. The stranger turned away and continued towards the door to enter building 1-B.

"Are... you okay? You're riddled with band-aids and stuff." Rock stood up and dusted himself off.

Before answering, she paused thinking of a proper response.

"I'm fine. This is nothing," her eyelids drooped as she looked towards her hands.

The boy took that as cue to continue the conversation. "I'm Ishikawa Rokuro. People usually just call me Rock for short," he extended his hand, offering a handshake with his introduction. "You're heading into the 1-B building, so you must be in class 1-B too, right?"

"Nakano Renka," she gently took his hand and moved up and down in unison with Rock.

The boy was taken aback by how gentle this powerful person's touch was.

"And yes, I am in Class 1-B. Is this person as well?" Renka's attention turned to Riku.

He quickly introduced himself, and then proceeded to ask her a question, "I'm curious, what'd you score on the physical portion of the entrance exam?"

Renka's faint warm expression dissipated. "That's not something I'd like to share, sorry."

Riku's face soured as his question was shot down.

Rock sensed the mood, and made the quick decision to interject.

"Oh! We should head inside already. It'd be nice to put all these boxes away," he chuckled, crossing legs and bouncing his right foot. He bent down to round up all of his luggage. To his surprise, Renka and Riku had each taken a box to help lighten his load.

"Might as well lend a hand. I'll just add this to your extensive list of favors that you owe me," said Riku, ill intention evident in his growing smirk.

"...Might as well," uttered Renka, sneaking a peek at the contents of the boy's box.

 _Isn't it rude to go through someone's stuff without asking permission? Especially if you've just met?_

Struggling to force a believable smile, Rock gestured for the others to follow him inside the 1-B building.

* * *

As the three stepped through the door, they stood in awe, admiring the pristine condition of their new home.

"This place is amazing! I must've died and gone to heaven," Rock exclaimed, running his hand through his hair.

Renka smirked, surprised to find herself struggling to contain her laughter.

"Not bad, all things considering," said Riku.

"I've been to your place dude. Your mind should be blown right now."

"Fuck you, your apartment is the same Rock."

As they advanced through the vestibule, a booth stood before them. An individual wearing a brown cowboy hat sat behind the booth, in a comfortable looking chair. Upon closer inspection, the individual's hat had a metallic plate on the front with a stylized "S" embedded. However, the objects of interest would have to be the strange pale yellow gas mask the person was wearing, as well as the large gun resting in his holster.

 _He looks familiar..._

"Hey! It's Snipe!"

Riku's shout startled Rock, Renka, and other individuals inside of the building.

"I used to watch the cartoon based off him," Riku informed.

 _Oh yeah, we used to watch together on Saturday mornings while eating cereal in our pajamas._

"Is he our teacher?" asked Renka.

Rock shook his head "Beats me. There was no information on _who_ our teacher would be in the documents."

The group approached the booth and greeted Snipe, before laying down the boxes nearby.

"Howdy, pardners. I'm the pro hero Snipe, I also work here as a teacher at U.A. Although classes start tomorrow, I'm here to introduce myself as 1-B's homeroom teacher."

 _Snipe is our homeroom teacher, huh? I've heard that he never misses his mark with his guns._

"Is that all you're here for?" asked Riku.

"I'm just here to answer any questions you may have about moving in. Also, I have your room numbers here. Just gimme your names and I can tell you which room you're in."

"Akutagawa Riku."

"You're on the third floor, second door on the left. Your names are also labeled on a panel on the lefthand side of your door."

"How about Ishikawa Rokuro?" asked Rock.

"Ah, you're on the fifth floor, the very last door on the left."

 _Nice! The very last room on the top floor. Should have a pretty sweet view, I'll be sure to check out that veranda later.  
_

"Rock, trade rooms with me," grumbled Riku, blatantly dissatisfied with his room arrangements.

The boy replied by crossing his arms, forming a large _'X'_.

Snipe gave an approving nod as he checked both of the boys off of a list. He turned his head towards Renka.

"And how about yourself?"

"My name is Nakano Renka."

"Alright Renka, your room is also on the fifth floor, third door on the right, in the girl's wing."

Rock, and Renka nodded with satisfaction. Riku grimaced, envious of his friend's room location.

"Do you three have any more questions for me?" asked Snipe, checking Renka off of a list.

Rock rubbed his chin as he pondered deeply if he needed clarification on anything.

Renka stood silently, eyelids shut, waiting for the conversation to be over.

Riku scrolled through his phone out of boredom.

"... I can see you're clear on everything. Alright you three, I'd explore the place a little if I were you. First, it's probably a good idea to get those boxes to whoever's room."

"Yeah, I forgot to send them here. Oh well, live and learn." said Rock, with a bright smile. "Thanks for all of your help today Snipe! _Er_ \- Do you prefer Mr. Snipe? Oh! Can I call you _Professor Snipe_? Sounds like Professor Snape from Harry Pott-"

"Yes Rokuro, I've watched the movies. I know what you mean. Do whatever you like."

The three scooped all of the boxes up and headed towards the elevator.

"Thanks Professor Snipe! I'll see you around!"

Snipe waved and gestured goodbye to the students.

"What a weird kid."

* * *

Sunday, April 9th 11:36 a.m.

With an audible click, the door opened to Rock's room. As if by some stroke of luck, his room's wallpaper had been his color of preference, a solid green. Rock, Riku and Renka were astonished by the clean, spacious room. The room came with a standard queen-sized bed, beige desk with office chair, and a table with a flat-screen television.

"Feels like some kind of nice hotel," said Riku, running his feet through the soft light blue carpet.

"Hey guys, if you help me unpack, I'll buy you both dinner! _Pleeeease_? I heard the cafeteria food here is like _ambrosia_." Rock rolled his eyes as he described the cafeteria food for emphasis.

Her lips pursed, Renka shrugged in agreement.

"Alright Rock, I'm down." said Riku, placing a box down on the bed before opening it. He paused after examining a labeled hardcover book with intense focus. Riku began grinning, smile quivering as his breath became uneven.

Suddenly, he cackled as he clutched the book and grabbed Renka by the wrist, pulling her outside with him before slamming the door shut.

Rock only stared with a dull expression before checking the contents of the box. His face turned white as he immediately recognized what had been missing from the box.

 _My... old ...diary._

"Riku!" he roared in anger.

The boy turned the knob and tried to push the door open, but to no avail as Riku and Renka had been leaning on it, effectively keeping it shut tight.

"Riku, this isn't funny! Come on!" pleaded Rock, a palpable desperation flowing out.

He pushed on the door, becoming increasingly irritated as his attempts failed, hearing Riku roar with laughter, most likely gasping for breath.

Rock's eyes began to change to a deep crimson.

* * *

"...and that was when I realized, it was all a dream! I still ended up kissing her, oh my gosh it was insane! I'd give anything to meet Mount. Lady-"

Tears streamed down Riku's face as he couldn't bear to read anymore without hopelessly howling with laughter. Renka stifled a sincere giggle, doing her best to restrain herself.

The door flung open, knocking Riku and Renka into the wall in front of Rock's room.

"Wait wait wait! Rock, I'm done, I'm done! Chill out it was just a joke!" cried out Riku, still clutching his aching side with his left arm, and holding his right out in defense. After a quick glance, Riku could tell he had made a big mistake. His friend was now in his rage mode, about to lose all control.

"Renka," said Riku calmly, "get ready to run, we've gotta get outside where Rock can't smash anything. We can't get into huge trouble on our first day."

She gave him a perplexed look, and then tensed as she spotted Rock dashing over towards the two.

Riku and Renka dashed out of harm's way, and began sprinting down the stairs. Rock gave chase, ferocious in his pursuit.

"What's wrong with him?! He looks like he's trying to _kill_ us!" exclaimed Renka.

"It's part of his quirk! He's an emotional wreck! I fucked up, he's super sensitive to shit like that! Hurry up, he's gaining on us!"

After several flights, they'd finally made it to the first floor. The two made a break for the exit. Snipe, still sitting calmly at the booth, glanced over in their direction before jolting to his feet in shock.

"H-Hey! What's going on here?!"

"Outta the way Snipe! We're just playing tag!" yelled Riku.

Riku and Renka cleared the door, and made it out into the courtyard. Rock was pursuing them, fury unsubsided.

"Now what do we do Riku?!"

"We either knock his ass out, or calm him down!"

"We should calm him down, it's our fault he's like that!"

"Wow. It's so nice of you to take part of the blame, seeing as how it was mostly my ide-"

With an unexpected burst of speed, Rock closed the distance between him and his targets.

"Shit! I forgot how strong he is like this!" yelled Riku.

The enraged boy slammed his fist towards Riku with wicked intent. With a swift backstep, Riku narrowly escaped a devastating blow. Rock's fist continued downwards, unearthing the concrete in jagged fragments, producing a crushing noise that made Riku's face grow pale.

Renka's eyes widened, enthralled by the raw strength coming from a boy who seemed so harmless.

The boy ripped his fist out of the small crater before swiftly turning his head towards Riku, snarling with anger.

"Oh, what I wouldn't _give_ to just turn this guy to ashes right now!" said Riku, continuing to avoid a melee confrontation.

Rock swiftly dashed forward towards Riku, inches away from his chest. He stepped forward, planting his foot firmly while simultaneously turning his hips, and thrust his fist out to strike Riku.

As Riku dodged the second attack, his left hand had begun to glow with black flames, an involuntary reflex from all of the close calls. Noticing his unconscious ignition, he quickly deactivated his quirk and allowed the flames to dissipate.

"Can't use my quirk, don't wanna melt his face off!" he shouted.

A spine-chilling gust of wind produced from Rock's punch shook the branches on a tree about twenty meters away.

Thanks to Riku taking all of the boy's attention, Renka took the opportunity to lightly tap Rock's back with her left palm.

He swiftly turned around and whipped a closed fist towards the girl. With skillful movement, she predicted the incoming strike and crouched quickly, chopping him down with a fast leg sweep.

Rock fell onto his back with an audible grunt. Renka stood up and took a light fighting stance, bouncing to a solid rhythm. He charged forward with a guttural roar, swinging his fists with reckless abandon. She continued to evade his burst of anger with fluid weaving.

Several more exchanges began, resulting in Rock's fists striking nothing but the air.

Riku noticed Rock's movements have slowed as the boy attacked on, haggard and dripping with sweat. "Renka," said Riku, impressed by her agility. "What did you do to him?"

"It's my quirk," she replied.

* * *

 **[Quirk: Leech]**

 _After making physical contact with an individual, Renka is able to temporarily sap their strength, speed and stamina while simultaneously bolstering her own. The draining is a slow process that takes time, but the longer the fight goes on, the stronger she will be! As the individual's abilities are taken, any physical activity will expedite the transfer of power. This quirk can only be activated on a single individual at a time._

* * *

"Riku, you've got to try to snap him out of it," she insisted.

"Rock! Calm down! It's okay!" yelled Riku, attempting to resolve this issue peacefully.

The boy's eyes strained as he paused, clutching his forehead with his palms, clawing at his scalp.

Taking advantage of his moment of struggle, Renka slid over and gently placed her hands on his shoulders.

Rock stood straight with his eyelids squeezed shut.

She opened her mouth, but could not find the right words to say.

As the boy slowly lifted his eyelids, his irises revealed a plain black. Rock was back to his normal self.

"Are you... yourself?" Renka tried to meet his gaze, but shifted her focus to the ground.

"Huh?" Rock took in the sight of Renka standing before him looking dejected. "Where are-"

He paused, immediately understanding where his lapse in memory had come from, as well as the concerned looks his friends had given him.

"Yep Rock, you totally went crazy on us. I know I shouldn't have fucked with your diary, but I mean _come on man_ , have some restraint!" said Riku, a sardonic smile sliding up his face.

Rock looked at his hands, which he clenched firmly, after noticing the scratches and dirt coating his rough fingers and palms.

Renka, her hands still on his shoulders, shook Rock out of his stupor. "It's alright. It was just a little exercise."

His downcast eyes were lifted, revealing a radiant yellow hue.

"Your eyes are yellow," uttered the girl with wide-eyed interest.

He chuckled, as his beaming smile reached his eyes.

Snipe stomped outside into the courtyard, attempting to locate the source of all of the noise.

"Just what the hell are you guys doing?! I could hear you from inside-"

The pro hero's right foot caught onto the small crater Rock created, causing him to stumble and fall forward.

"What's with this hole?! Property damage too, God dammit!"

"Professor Snipe... I-"

"-was just exercising. We were just doing a little exercising, a friendly spar. Rock here got a little into it." said Riku.

Dusting his shoulders off, the masked man stood on his feet after composing himself.

"If any other teacher was here, you guys would've gotten in a ton of trouble. It's only your first day here, you shouldn't mess around too much. Next time, do it during free practice, borrow a training room. I'll get Cementoss to fix this up. Have you guys finished unpacking yet?"

The three shook their heads.

"Then, I'd advise you to get that done. The day is still young."

"Thank you... P-Professor Snipe," said Renka, bowing her head slightly.

Snipe scratched his cheek with his right pointer finger (despite wearing a full-face mask), and tipped his hat in response.

Rock grinned and jumped up and down, shaking Riku in excitement knowing his nickname for his teacher was catching on.

Riku promptly shoved him off, bringing the boy to the ground. Renka offered a hand, and helped him up.

The three of them waved to Snipe as they entered the 1-B building, preparing for the second round of unpacking.

* * *

Sunday, April 9th 5:47 p.m.

As the sun continued to sink past the buildings of Heights Alliance, the clouds were symmetrically spread across the bright mango and violet sky. The three had managed to successfully unpack for each of their rooms, with their combined assistance and teamwork. They now stood leaning on the railing of the veranda of Rock's room.

 _It's beautiful. This is like a dream. I get to go to school here, in this paradise?_

No words were spoken for nearly ten whole minutes. Just pure admiration for the beautiful view.

An audible internal growl echoed through the silence.

"Guys, let's go to the cafeteria. It's a little early for dinner, but I'm starved. Besides, Rock's paying, right?" Riku tore his gaze away from the beautiful sky, and headed towards the door to exit Rock's room.

"Sure thing, that sounds good!" Rock happily turned around to follow Riku, but froze as Renka put a hand on his shoulder.

"Wait up," said Renka.

The boy turned once again to face Renka, uttering a questioning hum.

"I wanted to thank you."

He blinked, slightly tilting his head to the left with a confused look.

"What for? If anything, I should be the one thanking you for bringing me to my senses, _especially_ without clobbering my head in."

"No, that was nothing. It's just, I've never really had an _easy_ time talking to people. You were just so approachable. Most people are a little intimidated of me."

 _Huh. I did kind of get that elite vibe from her. That initial intimidating glare was pretty chilling._

"Intimidating? Naaah. You're fine!"

"Seriously, I've... never really had friends."

Rock was taken aback once again, her words reminding him of a similar time in his life when he was without friends.

"No problem Renka, we're friends now. We need to hang out like this all the time!"

The boy's bright smile was accentuated by his yellow irises reflecting the beautiful sunset.

A small gasp escaped her lips, almost indistinguishable from the sound of a regular breath.

For the first time, Rock had seen Renka fully smile.

* * *

New school, new home, new friends! Moving-in Day continues with the next chapter! Going to continue to introduce new characters, as well as touch base with some previously introduced characters. Thank you for reading!


	4. Moving In Part 2

_This story is heavily based off of the anime/manga series "Boku no Hero Academia". This work of fiction may contain spoilers towards the series, as well as references and characters. I do not own any of the references or characters from the original series that may appear in this story. This work and its original characters are fictional, any resemblance to real people living or dead is purely coincidental._

 **To be unique, is to be one of a kind, unlike anything else. What does that mean in a world where everyone is unique?**

 _The world has transformed dramatically. Unique abilities that are normally impossible for an average human to achieve, are now commonplace. Nearly 80% of all of humanity is equipped with some sort of ability or mutation. These unique traits are known as "quirks". When individuals are given power, they are capable of making decisions that can affect others._

 _What must one do to be considered a hero?_

* * *

Sunday, April 9th 5:49 p.m.

Riku stood outside of the doorway of Rock's Room and peeked inside after noticing Rock and Renka were not behind him. "Are you guys coming or what?"

After exchanging smiles, Rock and Renka head towards the door. Renka noticed a cloud of smoke hovering above Riku's head, and nudged Rock before pointing towards her discovery. The boy squinted as he analyzed the smoke, eyes trailing across the ceiling and towards right of his room.

"Riku, did you burn something? Where's all this smoke coming fr-"

The three immediately turned to locate the source of the smoke. It was coming from the next room over, seeping through the slim cracks of the door.

"Fire! There's a fire!" screamed Rock, stepping back, preparing to knock the door down with a shoulder bash.

Riku covered his hand with a thick handkerchief from his pocket, and simply turned the doorknob with his left hand and opened the door.

 _Oh. I guess I should've tried that first. Professor Snipe would've freaked out if I'd broke anything else today._

Rock, Riku and Renka entered the room masking their faces with their hands, and searched for the fire.

 _Huh? Wasn't there a fire? How else did all of this smoke get here?_

"I found the source of the smoke," said Renka, gesturing to a boy sleeping on a bed with her thumb.

Thick black smoke slowly trailed out of the boy's mouth as he exhaled in his slumber.

 _Well, I shouldn't be too surprised. It must be his quirk or something. Can't rely too much on conventional thinking at U.A._

Riku softly stepped over and jostled him awake by shaking his right shoulder.

After a couple of seconds, the sleeping boy groaned quietly.

"Nhh... Wha?" muttered the awoken youth, sitting up in his bed. Noticing the billows of smoke, he quickly covered his mouth with his hands. "Sorry, my quirk sometimes activates when I'm asleep. It's a real pain in the ass." He lacked in effervescence, seeming almost jaded.

"That's fine. It's a relief to see that it's only your quirk. We thought there was a fire burning in here, sorry for our intrusion." said Renka, rubbing her right arm.

"Don't worry about it, intrusions actually happen pretty often at sleepovers and hotels, because of my bad habit of unconsciously exhaling smoke in my sleep. My name is Ayama Ryuji." He shook their hands as they introduced themselves.

The boy before them smelled of a summer campfire. His relaxed demeanor made his voice mellifluous and smooth, matching his appearance. A mop of dark red hair rested lightly upon his head, straight yet curled in an unkempt manner. Bright yellow irises hid behind lax eyelids, located above thick lower eyelashes.

Ryuji rose from his bed, and dangled his legs over the side of the mattress before slowly descending his feet to the floor. Slowly, he stood up, stretching his limbs as they began to circulate synovial fluid. He was roughly five feet and six inches tall, with a scrawny build. The boy couldn't have been more than a hundred pounds. He was wearing a plain blue t-shirt, some gray sweatpants, and a pair of "All Might" themed socks.

* * *

 **[Quirk: Deep Smog]**

 _Ryuji has the ability to generate smoke from within, which he can then manipulate. Exhaling smoke from his mouth, he is able to shroud himself completely from his opponents, and use the cover to his advantage. He can even forcefully exhale in order to shoot a jet of smoke! Because of his ability to generate smoke, he is immune to the dangers of inhaling it._

* * *

Riku clutched his growling stomach with his right hand. "Come on, let's hurry to the cafeteria."

Rock nodded before turning to Ryuji sitting on his bed. "Do you wanna come with? It'd be nice to get to know more about my classmates! We can talk over dinner."

"Well now that you mention it, I am pretty hungry. Here, let me just freshen up a little." Ryuji scooted towards his bathroom and turned on the light.

Rock, Riku and Renka began to converse over the small drone of the faucet's running water. After a quick brush and gargle with a splash of cold water to the face, Ryuji was ready to go.

"Alright, I'm good to go," said Ryuji.

Suddenly, a deafening ring resonated through the fifth floor of the 1-B building. The residual smoke had risen to the smoke detector in the hallway, activating its warning siren. The color had drained from Rock's face as he analyzed the situation.

"Guys, we gotta split! If Professor Snipe catches us again, he's gonna be super pissed! I can't get on his bad side this early in the year! Hurry, let's go!" Rock swung his arm inward, gesturing for the group to follow him.

"Oh, what now?!" An irritated muffle was heard, not loud enough to indicate he was especially close, but loud enough to hear he was coming.

The students quickly sprinted down the stairs, zooming down a flight to escape the scene of the crime. After arriving to the fourth floor, they could hear an individual angrily stomping up at a brisk pace. Panicking, the group argued with hush voices trying to figure out a plan of action. Riku took the initiative and opened up the closest door, and shoved the others into it before slipping inside himself.

Ryuji stumbled forward, falling onto his chin as the others followed like dominoes.

"Uh. What are you doing in my room?" asked Satou, finishing the last of his unpacking as he placed down a table lamp onto an empty desk. Sitting upon his beanbag chair was none other than Kotonoha, tilting her head slightly as she gazed upon the pile of students.

"Shh! Be quiet for a sec." whispered Riku, holding his pointer finger against his lips.

The students sat patiently, waiting for the storm to pass. Snipe was heard muttering to himself as he charged up the stairs, trying to locate what could've triggered the fire alarm.

A sigh of relief escaped the tense chests of the fifth floor escapees.

"Sorry for the intrusion... Er-Satou was it?" said Rock, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, realizing he may had forgotten the boy's name.

"It's fine. Now are you going to leave?" said Satou, leaning against the desk, glaring sharply to express his irritation.

"Youji, you can't be so harsh! Would it kill you to lighten up?" asked Kotonoha with her cheeks puffed, eyebrows furrowed.

She took in the sight of Satou as his eyes widened, at a loss for words. He quickly flushed red with a scowl as she snickered.

" _Okay_ , I'm sorry for being so _harsh_ on you," he uttered unrepentant, looking at Kotonoha with a frown whilst apologizing. "I don't believe we've all properly met. I'm Satou Youji."

"I'm Rock! _Well_ , my name's Ishikawa Rokuro, but most people just call me Rock. It's nice to meet you. Well, we _did_ meet at the cafe, but I mean officially meet. I hope we get along, being in the same class and all." Satou's face scrunched at the boy's run-on introduction.

"Hi Rock," whispered Kotonoha, attempting to not interrupt the conversation.

"Hey Kotochi," replied Rock in a hushed voice.

Satou's expression hardened, jaw clenched as he witnessed Rock call Kotonoha by a nickname.

"I'm Nakano Renka. It's nice to meet you." said Renka, face nonchalant.

"My name's Ayama Ryuji. Are you alright? You look like you need to use the restroom."

Satou shook his rapidly shook his head, attempting to regain his cool composure. "Yeah, I'm alright. Don't worry about it, nice to meet you."

"Hey. I'm the guy who shoved everyone in here. I'm Akutagawa Riku, I'm sure you remember me from the cafe." said Riku, with a twisted grin.

Kotonoha stood up from the beanbag chair, and raised her hand slightly to indicate she was speaking. "Hey everyone, I'm Chigusa Kotonoha. I hope we can all get along."

Satou pushed off of the desk lightly to stand. "So what are you all up to on this _fine_ evening?" he asked, still attempting to sarcastically play along to Kotonoha's request of _lightening_ up.

"We're just heading to the cafeteria to get some dinner. You guys down to come with?" asked Riku.

Kotonoha spoke up before Satou could reply. "Yes, we'd love to. It sounds like a good idea, we can get to know each other over some great food!"

"That's what I said!" said Rock with glee.

Satou ran a hand through his hair as he sighed. "Yeah, let's go."

"Then it's settled. Let's get a move on." said Riku, stuffing his hands into his pockets, turning for the door.

The group of six walked down the stairs as they made small talk about their expectations of tomorrow's first day of class. As they entered the first floor, there were a few students having a conversation on the couch. Ryuji asked if they wanted to come with the group and have dinner, although they replied they would come later if they were hungry. After exiting the 1-B building, the group continued down the smooth concrete path through the courtyard.

The sun drowned in the horizon, as the hues gave birth to a breathtaking world above. Apricot and mauve conflated, bringing a warm blanket of color that highlighted the evening.

 _Ever since I'd entered U.A., I don't think there's been a single mundane moment. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world right now._

After roughly five minutes of walking, they'd traveled to the main campus. Satou took the lead, and showed the way to the cafeteria.

* * *

Sunday, April 9th 6:13 p.m.

The group had finally arrived at the cafeteria. Before them was a large food court with copious amounts of space, filled in with many standard tables with chairs. Along the walls were huge open windows with signs above them indicating the type of food being sold. Hanging above the entrance of the food court was a fancy sign labeled _Lunch Rush,_ the name of the cafeteria, as well as the pro hero who runs it. Students and teachers alike can come in their leisure time to catch breakfast from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., lunch at 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., their busiest hour, and then dinner from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Dishes from many different cultures are served everyday! First rate cuisine at a cheap price, that's U.A. for you.

Rock handed Riku his wallet reluctantly, sweat sliding down the left side of his face.

"Please don't go overboard." he pleaded.

"Relax, dude."

"Okay, okay. I'm cool. I'm relaxed." he reassured himself.

"Rock, find us a table, will you?" asked Riku, following the others to grab some food at the large cafeteria windows.

With a nod, he searched the food court for a suitable table.

 _Not surprising, the cafeteria is pretty packed. I guess all the other classes wanted to get dinner on the night before the first day of class too._

The corners of his mouth quirked up as he saw a familiar face sitting alone at a table. He happily skipped over and took a seat. A boy with straight soft blue hair was across from him, looking up to see who had taken a seat.

"Hey Kazuto! Finally found you, I was wondering when you'd turn up." said Rock, his eyes glowing a bright lemon hue.

Kazuto seemed to force a smile, evident in the pained expression hidden subtly in his eyes. "Hello Rock, it's good to see you here."

"...Are you alright?"

Kazuto twitched as he saw the yellow in his eyes slowly fade away to a plain black. "I-I'm alright, just a little tired."

Unconvinced, the boy pried further. "You can tell me what's wrong. I know we haven't known each other long, but we're friends."

The blue-haired boy's eyelids dropped as his mouth set in a hard line. His forehead creased as he shut his eyelids even harder, the turmoil in his heart beginning to seep out. After around half a minute of struggling to respond, he opened his mouth.

"I was accepted into U.A. as a recommended student. My father, Turbine the whirlwind hero, requested my admission because of my quirk and its potential, as well as my grades being within the top 5% of my generation."

"Oh," Rock uttered quietly in surprise. "Yeah, I've heard of him. He's in the top 10 of the pro hero ranks."

"Yes, that's him." replied Kazuto.

"If that's the case... Why'd you take the entrance exam? You were already accepted, right?"

"I feel like I was only accepted because I'm the son of one of the top heroes."

Kazuto averted his eyes, cradling his face with his right hand. "I told my father that I was going to refuse my admission to U.A. High. I wanted to take the test myself. I wanted to see if I could do it. I wanted to reach this stage with _my_ own power."

Kazuto lowered his head even further as he continued his explanation. "But... I couldn't even do that. I can barely remember the physical portion because of that drug. I haven't even told anybody what really happened. It wasn't my strength that got me here. I was just hopped up on some steroids that some thugs tested out on me."

 _I had no idea he was going through this. Dammit, I wish we could've talked sooner._

He tried to continue speaking, but covered his mouth with his right hand.

"Go on, it's okay," said Rock calmly.

"Worst of all," he began to shiver, "I almost killed people. I was just blowing things up without control. I haven't used my quirk since that day, I've been too scared."

Rock was the only one Kazuto had opened up to. Was it because Rock saved him during the exam? Did he feel obligated to tell him, or did Rock make him feel safe? Rock's heart sank after taking on all of this information, all of his feelings.

Kazuto faced the boy, his face contorted after explaining his sorrows.

"Alright," said Rock, smile growing, "Why don't you use it tonight? Let's get you back on your feet!"

"What?" The boy's glasses shifted askew, mouth agape by the sudden suggestion. "Hold on, we aren't allowed to use quirks freely like that! We need permission first."

"Oh come on, they'll never find out! Just a quick shockwave into the air. _You'll feel better!_ " Rock continued to insist with a reassuring grin.

Feeling skeptical, Kazuto furrowed his brows and pressed his lips together. "Well... If you say it'll make me feel better."

"Then it's settled! After dinner, blow the clouds outta the sky!"

"My quirk isn't that strong Rock," said Kazuto, stifling a chuckle with a genuine smirk on his face. "Thanks, for listening. I feel a lot better."

"Well, All Might always said that the mark of a great hero is offering a helping hand, even when it's not asked for."

The two shared a hearty laugh at the cheesy line that felt straight out of a comic book.

In the end, Rock didn't say anything profound, or even anything at all. He'd just listened to his friend. That was all that was needed.

Rock and Kazuto nearly jolted out of their seat as a tray of food slammed onto the table. They quickly turned their heads to find the source of the disturbance.

"Hey there, long time no see!" said Riku, with an uncharacteristically warm smile on his face. "Thanks for finding us a table Rock. Here, I got you a bowl of ramen, this is the _real_ good stuff. Not sure if it'll stand up to our usual instant ramen though."

The others had followed Riku and taken a seat at the table. Satou's eyes widened before narrowing with an aggressive glare. Kazuto replied with his own instigating gaze.

"Who's this, Rock?" asked Renka, blowing on a forkful of warm spaghetti before taking a bite.

"Oh, this is Fujimoto Kazuto," said Rock, holding a pair of chopsticks. "He's a good friend of mine!"

Kazuto raised a hand to the height of his shoulders before hunching modestly. The rest of the group began to introduce themselves as Rock prepared to dig in.

"Thanks Riku, this smells delicious! Man, I tell you guys, this cafeteria food is going to be amazing." Rock slowly raised the bowl to his face, and took a sip after cooling the broth with a couple of quick exhales.

 _Wow, that's really good..._

The others sitting around the table began to stir, sputtering as their lips pursed, cheeks inflated.

 _Hold on, why's everyone laughing?_

Rock's mouth began to flare with a stinging sensation.

 _Now that I think about it, this ramen looks a tinge too red._

Tears began to seep out of his eyes, brows raised in fearful surprise.

 _I should've known._

He quickly turned his head to Riku, with a tearful glare of anger. Rock dove out of his chair, scrambling on the floor before he sprinted in search of something cold to alleviate the inferno within his mouth.

The table began to settle down after the vigorous laughing, going back to casual conversation and dining.

Kotonoha shot Satou a determined look. He looked away, spurring the girl to send a sharp elbow to his side. With a groan, he steeled himself.

"Hey. Kazuto." said Satou, straining to continue speaking.

Kazuto froze, his eyes darting around while he contemplated what to say.

"Uh, first Satou," said Kazuto before rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, "I'd like to apologize to you and everyone else here. I know it doesn't make up for what I've done, but I just want you to know that I'm sorry, and I'm working towards being better."

Taken aback, Satou stared blankly with wide eyes. "I'm sorry too, I was furious at the cafe and couldn't think clearly."

The two stood up from their chairs, and extended their arms before exchanging a solid handshake.

Rock trudged back to the table, looking defeated.

"What happened? You look _way_ too bummed for it to be about the hot sauce." questioned Ryuji.

"I... ran into Professor Snipe. In my haste, I accidentally knocked the tea out of his hands. He said I'm in for a long talk after dinner." The boy's head sank, looking down towards the table.

Ryuji attempted to comfort him, patting his back lightly.

"Hey... Renka, right?" asked Kotonoha, stroking the flower on the side of her head, "I've been meaning to ask, what's with all of those bandages? Did you get in a fight?"

"Yeah, I've been curious as well." said Ryuji.

The entire table grew silent in anticipation of an answer, as if they had all wondered the same thing. A forkful of spaghetti drooped off of the utensil as she froze in place. All of the sudden attention directed at her stunned Renka in shock.

"It was just from sparring." she said plainly.

"Sparring, huh?" said Ryuji.

Renka confirmed with a nod, going back to eating her meal. Everyone at the table exchanged looks of suspicion, unsatisfied with her answer. With a shrug, the group went back to their meals.

 _I've been curious about those bandages all day. I guess she really doesn't want to talk about them._

* * *

Sunday, April 9th 7:30 p.m. 

As the seven of them exited the main building, it had grown dark. The sunset had gone, replaced with a plethora of bright stars illuminating the night.

Kazuto looked to his hands deep in thought, and then to the sky. "Rock, I'm going for it."

Rock perked up, brows lifted in interest. "Really? Alright!"

The others looked at each other confused, out of the loop.

Kazuto raised his palms above him, aiming for the sky, and recalled all of the recent events he had to use his quirk.

Having to defend himself against the mysterious individuals in the alley.

Taking out the villain robots during the physical portion of the entrance exam.

With a large shockwave fired upwards, the branches on the trees around him shook vigorously from the sudden force. Kazuto then lowered his hands, and clasped them together tightly. Rock positioned himself to where he could inspect Kazuto's condition.

Kazuto was beaming, he felt he was in perfect control. The two shared a quick high five, celebrating his recovery.

The two continued to walk towards Heights Alliance, leading the pack of students. Renka caught up to Rock and tapped him on the shoulder, successfully acquiring his attention.

" _What was that all about_?" she whispered, keeping the conversation private.

"It was just kind of like a... meaningful thing." replied Rock, attempting to explain without going into any important details.

With a small tilt of the head, she shot him a look saying she didn't understand. He only responded with a grin and shrug.

 **"Rokuro!"**

Rock twitched as the familiar voice rung deep in his ears.

 _Oh crap, I forgot about Professor Snipe._

Professor Snipe stomped over towards the group of students, his angry focus locked onto the aforementioned student.

"I told you we were going to have a long talk. Here you are, trying to sneak away, hmm?"

"I-I wasn't trying to escape or anything! I just forgot, honest!" exclaimed Rock, attempting to calm down his teacher.

"Sorry everyone, me and this trouble-makin' greenhorn are gonna have to excuse ourselves. Have a good night, now!" said Snipe, grabbing the boy by the hood.

The 1-B teacher waved a hand gesturing goodbye before dragging the boy back into the main building. Rock pleaded for help, looking like a puppy who'd gotten caught tearing up the sofa.

Riku only offered a wave, with a teasing smirk on his face.

The group figured it was time to talk about him, since he was no longer in their vicinity.

"So... what do you guys think about Rock?" asked Riku, curious on their thoughts on him.

"Oh my god, it was _hilarious_ when he had some of that hot sauce ramen!" said Kotonoha, holding her sides as she laughed.

"Did you see his face?" asked Ryuji, "I thought he was going to explode!"

The two sputtered like an old dysfunctional water sprinkler, before howling like hyenas.

"I don't really know him, so far he's pretty nice though," muttered Renka with a small upward curl on her lips.

"Rock's a good friend," said Kazuto proudly.

Satou simply shrugged, before offering his nonchalant answer. "If I had to say... I'd say he's, entertaining?"

Riku quirked an eyebrow, impressed by how much of an impact his emotional friend had left on the group. After the short conversation about Rock, they'd made it to the entrance of the 1-B building. Kazuto approached the door and held it open for the others to enter.

* * *

Sunday, April 9th 7:38 p.m.

The group (aside from Rock) had successfully made it back to the dorms before 9:00 p.m., their designated curfew. They made their way to the main section of the common space, complete with couches and television. No one else seemed to be on the first floor currently. Everyone took a seat on the couches and separate lounge chairs, close enough to hold a conversation.

Satou continued to stand, before rubbing the back of his head, yawning. "Actually, I'm pretty beat. I think I'm gonna head up to my room. Have a good night guys."

He turned, and began to climb the staircase, turning in for the night.

Those who remained in the common space were Riku, Kazuto, Renka, Kotonoha and Ryuji.

Boredom getting the better of him, Ryuji decided to ask a personal question. "What are your guys' quirks?"

"Well, I'm sure you saw my quirk earlier, I can shoot out shockwaves." said Kazuto.

"It looked powerful," Renka acknowledged. "As for my own, I'd like to keep it a secret for now."

Looking dejected, the group shook off her refusal and continued to share.

"Well, as the preeminent _strongest_ member of this class," boasted Riku, smugly noticing Renka's irritated reaction to his words, "I don't really care if small fries get to know my quirk. Left hand shoots out black flames, does whatever fire can. My right hand lets out white flames, they can accelerate people's natural healing, but it's a pain in the ass to use since it really drains my stamina."

Everyone stared, wide eyed and at a loss for words.

"Geez, that's... pretty unfair," moaned Ryuji. "Like, that's _overpowered_ dude."

Riku smirked triumphantly, leaning into the comforting material of the sofa. Ryuji let out a sigh, which came out in the form of smoke.

"Ah. I guess I just demonstrated my quirk. I can exhale smoke." said Ryuji.

"Seems kind of... plain." said Renka bluntly.

Ryuji looked away, hiding his shame.

"Well, as for me, my quirk is this little flower on the side of my head." said Kotonoha.

"Er... How does it work?" asked Ryuji.

"I can generate various types of pollen from the flower, which cause different effects. I can also make flowers sprout, like this."

A small green particle floated out from the center of the flower on the side of her head, and slowly descended onto the table. She grabbed a glass of water that was sitting on the table, and poured a small amount over the green particle. Suddenly, it expanded as roots spread in a small radius surrounding the particle. A stem sprouted upward, and a small pink flower bloomed. The group clapped as if a magic trick had just been performed.

"That's very nice," said Renka.

"Yeah, it's pretty for gardening. What good will it do you in a fight?" questioned Riku.

"I wouldn't underestimate my quirk like that. It's got plenty of applications in battle." stated Kotonoha, admiring the newborn flower, before sneezing loudly.

* * *

 **[Quirk: Pollination]**

 _Kotonoha possesses the ability to generate various types of pollen from the flower on the side of her head._

 _These various effects include: paralysis, sleep induction, and a stinging rash. Additionally, she can produce small green particles that sprout into different types of plants!_

The flower that grows out of the side of her head is a part of her body, and must be protected accordingly! Additionally, it is linked to her menstrual cycle. The flower wilts and is replaced with a new one after every cycle. The color and type of flower is random, although it always correlates to the season.

Unfortunately, she has terrible allergies to pollen, and using her quirk will cause those allergies to begin acting up.

* * *

"Bless you."

"Thanks Ryuji." said Kotonoha.

"That's a pretty cool quirk you have. It's nice to see unique abilities that aren't just meant for fighting." said Ryuji, smile broadened, his right dimple visible.

She replied with a grin of her own.

Everyone's attention was directed to the entrance, as the door had been opened. Walking inside were Snipe and Rock, the latter with an exhausted look on his face.

"Howdy everyone," said Snipe, tilting his head as he greeted the students. "I hope you're all prepared for class tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it. I just came here to escort Rokuro, making sure he won't be causing any more _trouble._ Have a good night, everyone."

After patting Rock on the back, Snipe headed out.

The boy slumped over the couch and slid onto the cushions like a slug, surprising Renka and Ryuji, the people he had slid betwixt.

"I'm so tired. Why am I _this_ tired? Did I really chase you and Riku for such a long time?" questioned Rock with a muffled voice, head down into a cushion.

Feeling guilty, Renka spoke up to elucidate Rock. "Sorry, it's from my quirk. A good night's sleep should fix you right up."

"What'd he say to you, Rock?" asked Kotonoha, curious on the details of the scolding he'd received.

" _Mm_... He told me I'm on his radar now, and that's _not_ a good thing. Basically, he's gonna have his eye on me, prepared at any moment to punish me for anything out of line. I guess my first impression on him was that I'm a troublemaker." Rock sank further into the cushions. His stomach growled, causing him to shoot upwards, hair standing on end.

"I... still haven't eaten dinner!" he said with a pale face.

"Well, let's go to the kitchen. We can probably whip something up." said Renka.

"Will there be anything to cook? We're the ones who supply the fridges, right?" questioned Ryuji.

"Only one way to find out." said Riku, already on his way to the kitchen.

Rock dashed over to the kitchen, determined to reach the fridge first. "Oh no you don't! I'm not eating another hot sauce surprise!"

The rest of the students followed Rock and Riku into the kitchen, curious to inspect an area they had yet to explore thoroughly.

"I can lend a hand, I know how to cook pretty well." said Kazuto, washing his hands in the sink.

* * *

Sunday, April 9th 8:42 p.m.

"Well, it's finished!" said Kazuto proudly, wiping a drop of sweat off of his brow.

"It looks great," said Renka, admiring the creation.

"Can we eat it now? I'm dying." cried Rock.

"The chef gets first bite!" hissed Kazuto.

"Dumbass, we made it together," said Riku, shooting a dull expression towards the bespectacled boy.

Before them laid a culinary creation born from their teamwork and cooperation. A large metal tray of pasta and cheese, fixed with spinach and artichoke, and chunks of white chicken. It wasn't anything _Lunch Rush_ worthy, but it smelled heavenly nonetheless.

As the group argued on who ought to have the first bite, they immediately stopped fighting as soon as they saw Ryuji take a spoonful from the tray. As he inserted the bite into his mouth, an audible moan was heard.

Rock grabbed the boy by the neck, and jostled him to and fro, tears streaming down his angry face. "Ryuji, you bastard! How dare you take the first bite!"

Ryuji tapped several times on Rock's left forearm, begging him to release his grip. Kazuto and Riku pulled Rock off of him, allowing him to swallow the food.

"The verdict?" questioned Renka.

Ryuji weakly raised a thumbs up, before leaning against the counter for support.

The rest of the group began to eat from the tray, not bothering to gather their own plates.

Rock apologized after his hunger-induced rage had subsided, and enjoyed the rest of the meal along with the others. Just as they had to create it, they used teamwork to tidy up and clean the rest of the kitchen and the utensils they'd used.

Completely satisfied, Riku rubbed his stomach. "That was pretty good."

"It's almost 9:00 p.m." said Renka, checking the clock hanging on the wall. "We should probably get ready for bed."

This spurred a snicker from Rock and Riku, causing a flush to creep up on her face.

"What's so funny?" she defensively questioned.

"It's just that you're sleeping so early!" said Rock, holding his sides.

"Early to bed, early to rise!" she huffed.

"Okay, getting an early night's sleep for kindergarten tomorrow I see." said Riku, teasing evident in his smug expression.

Renka's face continued to redden as her embarrassment grew.

"Good night," she groaned.

"Have a good night! See you tomorrow!" said Rock, waving playfully.

"I'm going back to my room too, good night guys!" said Kotonoha.

"Guess I will too." said Ryuji.

Rock and Riku bid good night to the others as well, leaning against the kitchen counter.

They began to converse about recent events.

"Remember a little over a week ago, when you were so worried about the exam?" asked Riku.

"Yeah. It's kinda crazy. Here I am now, making pasta with _U.A. students_ in a _U.A. dorm_."

"So? What's your opinion on this school so far?"

"It's like a dream. I never would've imagined it to be so incredible."

"Yeah, it's a pretty great place. Comfy." replied Riku.

"I'm looking forward to tomorrow." said Rock, staring down towards his right hand with a smile.

Riku chuckled, "Just don't get into any more trouble. I don't want Snipe to expel you on the first day."

"Dude, to be fair, at least _half_ of all of the trouble I've gotten in, is because of you."

They exchanged a laugh, before bidding each other good night, and heading up to their rooms.

* * *

Sunday, April 9th 9:32 p.m.

He spat out the water he had gargled in his mouth into the sink, and stared into the mirror of his bathroom.

His hair was still fluffy, and black and white. His eyes were still yellow, although they're normally black. His skin was still a light shade of caramel.

He was still the same old Rock.

Something was different though. Something inside had changed.

It was like something deep inside had been switched on, bringing satisfaction to something he wasn't aware needed to be satiated.

He'd always wanted to be a hero.

Now that he was enrolled to U.A., it felt as if he was past the start line, and on his journey to becoming a _real hero_.

He shut off the bathroom light and headed over to his closet. After opening the closet door, a U.A. school uniform was found inside on a hanger. He quietly shut the door, and turned over to his bed.

Rock hopped onto his bed, nuzzling in the comfortable blanket, and resting his head onto the cloud-like pillow.

 _Tomorrow, I'll give it my all! First day of class, here comes Ishikawa Rokuro!_

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! That's the second half of "Moving-In" day! Next chapter will be the first day of school, more character introductions and all. I try to keep the amount of new characters I introduce each chapter somewhat small, so I have time to write them with decent character interactions, giving you an idea of what they're like. Leave a comment/review, I really appreciate them!_


	5. The First Day

_This story is heavily based off of the anime/manga series "Boku no Hero Academia". This work of fiction may contain spoilers towards the series, as well as references and characters. I do not own any of the references or characters from the original series that may appear in this story. This work and its original characters are fictional, any resemblance to real people living or dead is purely coincidental._

 **To be unique, is to be one of a kind, unlike anything else. What does that mean in a world where everyone is unique?**

 _The world has transformed dramatically. Unique abilities that are normally impossible for an average human to achieve, are now commonplace. Nearly 80% of all of humanity is equipped with some sort of ability or mutation. These unique traits are known as "quirks". When individuals are given power, they are capable of making decisions that can affect others._

 _Facing your fears, overcoming your obstacles! That is a hero!_

* * *

Monday, April 10th 7:00 a.m.

A loud buzz hummed, resonating in the dorm room. It sounded as if a woodpecker was digging into a thick tree.

A small groan escaped Kazuto's mouth as his forehead crinkled at the bothersome din. He groggily reached over for his phone, its alarm going off. After a quick swipe with his thumb, the vibration had ceased.

Kazuto sprawled about his bed, stretching his limbs while exhaling deeply. Cradling a pillow between his arms, he looked up towards the ceiling. The sight of his dorm room evoked pleasant memories of yesterday. Making new friends, individuals who seemed to attract interesting interactions and events.

Gradually, the desire to get out of bed grew as the seconds passed. He approached his closet while managing to stay balanced on his feet. The U.A. school outfit was laid flat on his bed, as he entered the bathroom to get ready for the first day of class.

It was time to move past the entrance exam. Now it's time for Kazuto to prove he's heroics course material!

* * *

Monday, April 10th 8:20 a.m.

The halls of U.A. were bustling with exuberant crowds of students, new and returning. Kazuto hummed to the cadence of his steps, as he ventured through the building, searching for the 1-B classroom. To his surprise, the door to his classroom towered before his modest stature.

 _Perhaps it's inclusive design..._

It took him far more strength than he was willing to muster this early in the day, to open the enormous gate in front of him. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was struggling to make his way inside. He huffed as he leaned towards the right, gradually opening the sliding door. Kazuto fell over as the door suddenly opened. His face reddened as he quickly scrambled to stand up, brushing off his shoulders and pants for any residue.

"Coming in?" asked Renka, peeking out from inside of the classroom.

With a nervous grin, Kazuto nodded and continued inside. Inside he saw some unfamiliar faces, although he had seen most hanging somewhere around the dorm yesterday, as well as the cafeteria. Renka sauntered towards a small group of individuals surrounding a desk while looking at her phone. Upon closer inspection, Kazuto noticed that they were huddled around Rock, who was sitting in a desk. The individuals other than Renka were Ryuji, Satou, and Kotonoha. Although not as busy as the halls, this U.A. classroom was still full of plenty of energy. As the group laughed together, Ryuji turned his head slightly and caught Kazuto in his peripheral vision.

"Oh, hey Kazuto. Come over, we were just talking about how our mornings went." said Ryuji, waving his hand, gesturing the boy to join them.

 _He looks a bit worn out. I suppose he had a hard time waking up on time today._

"Hello everyone, how are you doing?" Kazuto said cheerfully, laying his backpack down in a vacant desk, adjacent from Rock.

"I'm fine," said Satou indifferently, adjusting his tie in an attempt to alleviate the uncomfortable chafe around his neck. "How'd your morning go?"

"Well, I woke up at around 5:00 a.m., and made my way towards the cafeteria to get some breakfast. I had a short stack of pancakes along with some bacon strips and a fried egg, an apple and orange, with a nice glass of milk and a cup of coffee." replied the boy, contently patting his stomach.

The group stared at Kazuto dumbfounded.

"W-where does all that food go?" exclaimed Kotonoha, surprised and envious.

Renka nodded. "Impressive."

Kazuto rubbed the back of his head, unfamiliar to having so much attention, and cleared his throat to move the conversation along.

"After finishing my meal, I ventured back to my room to prepare for the day. I was very impressed by the quality of the U.A. dorms, although I suppose it's to be expected of the world's best hero academy. Then, I made my way here. That was how my morning went."

"Huh. That's a surprisingly normal morning compared to everyone else's." said Satou, stretching his arms out. He made his way towards his desk to prepare for the start of class.

Kazuto tilted his head, expecting an elaboration.

"Yeah, I bumped into All Might this morning. It's insane seeing him in person now, he's like a living skeleton," Ryuji said, "His smile is still as bright as ever though."

Rock wiped a drop of perspiration from the left side of his forehead with the back of his hand, and exhaled softly out of relief. "I got lost this morning. I scrambled into class a couple of minutes before you, Kazuto. This school is _enormous_."

The bespectacled boy couldn't help but cover his mouth as he chuckled.

 _That sounds just like a "Rock" morning._

Kotonoha checked her phone for the time out of habit, even though there was a clock hanging on the wall at the front of the classroom.

"It's 8:29, almost time for the start of class. We'd better take our seats."

The group exchanged a nod, and sat down at their desks.

Class 1-B had become silent, anxiously awaiting the arrival of their teacher, prepared to begin their journey of becoming a professional hero.

Like the first firework to go off in a festival, the homeroom door slid to the right, its collision echoed throughout the classroom.

Riku slid into the room in a crouched posture. He stood up and quickly scanned the room for a clock, and noticed he was on time, just about thirty seconds before 8:30 a.m.

"Fuck yeah! _Safe!_ " he cheered. Riku hopped over to a vacant desk in the back of the classroom and lounged in his seat, ignoring the numerous students' stares.

Kazuto couldn't decide if he was impressed or shocked. Regardless, that surprise managed to make his heart beat even faster than it already was.

 _Riku seems unfazed at the fact that literally everyone's eyes are on him. I'd like to get to that level someday too._

The clock had struck 8:30 a.m. As if on cue, Snipe walked through the classroom door, looking a bit confused as to why the door was left wide open. After closing the door with a gentle slide, he approached the front of the classroom and placed his bag down on the the teacher's desk. He was wearing a white dress shirt, with a gray vest worn over it, and a black long tie. His gray slacks kept his shirt tucked in along with his black leather belt, which matched his black loafers. His dapper appearance seemed to be mismatched with his gas mask and western-styled cowboy hat. Regardless, he looked professional and tidy.

"Howdy everyone, welcome to the first day of class. You're all lookin' well," said the teacher, tipping his hat. "On our agenda today, we're going to start off with roll call to make sure everyone's in the right place. Afterwards, I have a nice surprise for your first day."

Snipe cleared his throat, and began to read names off of the Class 1-B roster. Kazuto raised his finger to the bridge of his nose and pushed his glasses up, and prepared to connect the names with the faces of his classmates.

 **"Fujimoto Kazuto."**

Kazuto raised his hand to indicate he was present. "Present."

 **"Ayama Ryuji."**

"Here." said the aforementioned student.

 **"Chigusa Kotonoha."**

She quickly put down her pencil in the middle of a doodle, before raising her hand. "Here."

 **"Akutagawa Riku."**

Riku slouched in his chair, chin resting on his palm, "Heeere."

 **"Hachiman Garuru."**

Kazuto's eyes widened.

A large student sat in the front of the class in one of the bigger desks. From behind, Kazuto could only see certain features of his appearance, such as his large forearms and hands, and his enormous back. The student's thick neck trailed from his defined back, and lead to his large head.

 _That student is enormous...! His appearance is akin to a gorilla. Thanks to U.A.'s inclusive design, there are desks in this classroom to accommodate his size._

"Present," said Hachiman.

 _His voice is deep! He is most definitely a gorilla._

 **"Ishikawa**... **Rokuro."**

 _There was some hesitation in Snipe's voice._

Rock smiled and responded happily, doing his best to appease his teacher. "Here, Professor Snipe!"

His nickname raised the brows of a few of his classmates.

The boy's semi-forced smile quickly flipped upside down, as he felt Snipe's gaze behind his mask.

 _It seems Rock is not one of Snipe's favorites._

 **"Chideta Maeda."**

Kazuto tilted his head to the left to get a good look at the student. His desk was right next to Chideta's.

Chideta sat proper and upright in his chair, but it seemed as if his mind was elsewhere. The first thing that Kazuto noticed about this student were the black pair of goggles he sported, which gleamed with an orange tint on the lens. The second thing that he had noticed was his bright, white hair, that was held in a spiky ponytail. His dark complexion greatly contrasted his bright hair. He raised his hand before speaking.

"Here." said Chideta softly. It would be difficult to hear him in a loud room.

He turned his head towards Kazuto, forehead wrinkling as his brows furrowed.

"What?" he asked, in a quiet intimidation.

Kazuto's eyes quickly darted away from the boy.

"N-nothing..."

 _I suppose he's not friendly._

 **"Satou Youji."**

Satou gradually raised his hand, facing forward with an attentive expression.

"Here."

 _It's hard to tell if he and I are on good terms. At the very least, it seems he's being civil. I can only reciprocate, and hope for the best._

 **"Tengen Daiki."**

"Here."

The voice came from behind Kazuto, low and piercing. Kazuto couldn't see what Tengen looked like without turning around, but something was telling him to refrain from doing so. Tengen's presence was a different type of intimidation. It felt as if someone was staring at you, analyzing everything they could possibly see. Analyzing all of your capabilities, and gauging your strength.

 _This pressure... I haven't experienced anything like this before. I can't bring myself to turn around. Something tells me, just from hearing his voice and feeling his presence, that this person is strong._

After several more introductions, Snipe laid down clipboard with the 1-B roster on his desk.

"Alright, now let's move on."

"As I was saying earlier, your _surprise_ is that we're gonna have an exercise that will display your abilities and hopefully bloom a bit of classroom camaraderie, as well as some _friendly_ rivalry." said the teacher, head angled slightly downward, reading lines off of a sticky note.

A few students that had noticed his attempt to hide his notes stifled a laugh.

Snipe looked upward to see what had spurred their noise, before slowly looking down at his notes once again, continuing the explanation.

"The exercise will be a _'team battle'_. The teams will comprise of two students each, with one student being the flag-holder, and the other being the guardian. Once you are placed into a team, it is up to you guys to decide who is the flag-holder, and who is the guardian. If a flag-holder is in possession of both team's flag, then that team wins. We will be conducting the exercise at Field Gamma, the industrial site. Although this is a large area like the replica-city district, the densely packed lanes of this industrial site seem more like a complex labyrinth. Before each battle, a coin flip will determine which team will have a five minute head start to traverse through the site. Anybody have any questions?"

Kotonoha raised her hand gingerly, "Uhm, why exactly are we fighting each other on the first day? Shouldn't we have some sort of friendly introductions activity or something?"

Snipe's eyes lit up (although you couldn't notice because of his mask), as he excitedly prepared to answer the question. He looked back towards his notes, searching through phrases as if he had previously prepared the perfect response.

"Now Chigusa, you and your peers are now part of U.A.! Sure, it would be nice to have a friendly introductions activity if you were at a normal high school. However, by exchanging fists, you can truly understand your classmates _infinitely_ more than a friendly introductions activity."

The passionate teacher raised his hands to chest level before clenching them into a tight fist.

"I believe you can feel each other's fashion by fighting, which is why its much more valuable to have an exercise like this on the first day."

He stood triumphant, feeling he had properly delivered the phrase that Present Mic had written for him.

Once again, the class had stifled their laughter, sputtering like an engine running out of gas.

"Do you mean _passion_ , sir?" asked Ryuji, hand held over his wide grin.

Snipe's face had reddened from embarrassment (again, unnoticeable due to his mask), shaking it off with a hearty chuckle.

 _Snipe seems to be a bit stiff. How long has he been teaching here? He's not very good at it._

"Yes, thank you Ayama. Now, who's ready to get into teams? I happen to have an application on this hologram device that can randomly pair two students out of our class of twenty. Additionally, the app will choose which team will face which."

Snipe tapped a couple of times on the hologram device before a light/blue beam shot up, and displayed an interface with the entire class 1-B roster. After one final tap, the names rotated into a spiraling amalgamation of letters, and then popped with a bright flash, urging the students to shield their eyes from the light, all except Chideta with his goggles donned. As the bright light dissipated, the names were clear and paired in a list.

* * *

 **FLAG BATTLE PAIRING  
**

 **TEAM A.** YAMADA MASANORI  & HIGASHI SHOU **  
**

 **TEAM B.** MOMOCHI RUKA  & CHIDETA MAEDA

 **TEAM C.** NAKANO RENKA  & ISHIKAWA ROKURO

 **TEAM D.** FUJIMOTO KAZUTO  & ENDO EMIRI

 **TEAM E.** SATOU YOUJI  & AYAMA RYUJI

 **TEAM F.** USUI ISAMU  & YANAGI JUNKO

 **TEAM G.** KAYA ASUKA  & HIROSE ANZU

 **TEAM H.** HACHIMAN GARURU  & SASAKI TAMIKA

 **TEAM I.** AKUTAGAWA RIKU  & MORINO HIDE

 **TEAM J.** TENGEN DAIKI  & CHIGUSA KOTONOHA

 **FLAG BATTLE MATCHES**

 **Match 1.** TEAM D. vs. TEAM E.

 **Match 2.** TEAM B. vs. TEAM C

 **Match 3.** TEAM A. vs. TEAM G

 **Match 4.** TEAM J. vs. TEAM H

 **Match 5.** TEAM I. vs. TEAM F.

* * *

The students stirred with excitement in their desks, anxious to showcase their abilities.

"And there you have it everyone, these are the teams and matches that were randomly set up. At my desk, I have a box containing several U.A. standard exercise clothes, each set tailored to a specific student, based on the information you wrote down for your application."

Class 1-B stood up from their desks and made their way to Snipe's desk in a semi-orderly fashion, and received their personal exercise clothes.

"Head to the 1st floor and make your way to the locker rooms. I'll be waiting at the front gate where we will board one of the buses, and make our way to Field Gamma. Hurry up now, I wanna leave in ten minutes so we can get to lunch on time at noon."

With minimal commotion, the class exited the classroom and headed to the locker rooms to get changed. Snipe was pleased to see that they had finished preparing for the exercise in less than ten minutes. After boarding the idling bus, Class 1-B set off for Field Gamma.

* * *

Monday, April 10th 9:21 a.m.

The students moved in a single-file line off of the bus, all dressed in their U.A. standard exercise clothes. The bus had parked in a large vacant parking lot just outside of Field Gamma.

Kazuto stepped off of the bus, and searched the crowd of students for his team member, Endo Emiri.

A light tap on his shoulder urged him to turn around.

"Hm?" muttered Kazuto, surprised to see the girl who grabbed his attention was standing over him.

"Hello. You're Fujimoto, right?" asked the stranger.

"Y-yes, you can call me Kazuto. I take it you are Endo Emiri?"

"That's right. It's nice to meet you. You can call me Endo." she said, extending a hand, smiling ever so slightly.

Kazuto hesitated for a moment, overcome with nervousness from this newcomer. He reciprocated the gesture with a smile of his own, albeit with lips quivering. After grasping her hand with his own, his shoulders quirked upward in surprise from the sheer cold of her hands. Kazuto's eyes darted from his hand to her face, only to see Endo smiling as if she hadn't noticed his shock.

Endo Emiri stood at a tall five feet and eight inches, her body slim and curvaceous, fitting well into her uniform. Her skin was light, and had white tribal-patterned markings trailing from the neck down. She had long, platinum blonde hair with a light blue tint, with hair braided on the sides that trail to the back of her head into a bun. Her eyes had cold bluish-gray irises, that felt like you were staring into a blizzard.

Kazuto and Endo walked with the rest of the pack as they made their way to the gated entrance of Field Gamma.

"You know Kazuto, I think I do remember you," mused Endo.

"Really? I don't think we've met before..." said Kazuto, pondering with his thumb and pointer finger resting on his chin.

"I seem to recall dodging _shockwaves_ from a certain someone."

 _Oh dear._

Kazuto's shaky smile sank as he looked down towards his tennis shoes.

"I'm really sorry."

Endo snorted in laughter. "I was just teasing you. I'm fine, see? Aside from the _'almost-killing-everything-in-your-way'_ part, you were pretty cool at the entrance exam."

 _That's right... I've moved on from that._

"Thank you for the compliment, but geez Endo, don't ever do that again please," whined Kazuto, his face flush.

"Okay, you've got it," said Endo, with a smirk. "So, do you have a plan for us?"

Kazuto crossed his arms as he descended into critical thought.

"It seems we're up against Satou and Ryuji, which I believe to be a favorable match-up. I don't know what Satou is capable of, but I have knowledge of Ryuji's quirk. He can exhale large amounts of smoke, which would make fighting difficult. The smoke is harmful to our lungs, and provides a good screen of cover they can take the initiative with. Normally, this would be problematic for other teams."

Kazuto pushed up his glasses with his right pointer finger, "However, I can dispel whatever he throws at us with my shockwaves."

"That will definitely come in handy. I'll tell you my quirk so that we can formulate a proper plan," chimed Endo, with a determined, piercing gaze.

* * *

 **[Quirk: Illusory Snow]**

 _Endo is able to continuously generate a vast amount of a dense fog/mist that covers approximately twenty meters within her vicinity. It only takes around five or six seconds to cover the whole area once her quirk is active. If she is moving while her quirk is active, the fog/mist_ _adjusts in order to remain within her vicinity. She's able to create illusions within the mist & can completely blend into the mist itself, essentially using it as camouflage. _

If she uses her ability consecutively, the quality of the illusions & the density of her mist goes down drastically.

While it's possible for her to be warm, her body is naturally cold. Additionally, she has a natural resistance to cold weather.

In order to recover her quirk's original capabilities, she must refrain from activating it while it recharges. To expedite the process of recovery, she can consume something cold such as ice cream.

* * *

"That's quite the interesting quirk you have. I already have some good ideas about the illusion aspect that we can use to our advantage against the other team," said Kazuto, running on with his thoughts.

"The first match is beginning! Teams, have you chosen your flag-holder and guardian yet?" asked Snipe.

 _There's still the issue of how we're going to take the other team's flag._

"Uh, Kazuto? Snipe is speaking to us," muttered Endo.

 _Sure we can effectively defend our flag with our arsenal, but how will we go about winning this?_

"Hello? The other team already chose, we're just waiting on you guys," said the teacher, irritation from being ignored festering.

 _It's probably best to go about this cautiously, since Satou's abilities are still unknown..._

"Time's up!" exclaimed Snipe, shoving a small flag into his hands. "Fujimoto is the flag-holder, Endo is the guardian!"

Snapping out of his intense thinking session, Kazuto noticed he had been given the flag-holder role. Looking ahead, he saw Ryuji was the flag-holder for his team.

"Everyone listen up! Each match is ten minutes only. A team can win or lose. Flag-holders need to protect their team's flag, and the guardians need to protect the flag-holders. Both team members can fight, although it may or may not be a good idea to send your flag-holder into battle. A team only wins if their flag-holder is in possession of both flags. If neither team loses a flag, then everyone loses. We'll begin with the coin flip, call it, teams."

"Heads." said Satou.

"Tails." said Endo.

Snipe laid a U.A. coin on his thumb, cradled over a clenched fist. The coin sat with its heads side face up, a symbol of U.A. labeled on the center. The tails side displayed the phrase _"Plus Ultra!"_ in the center.

The teacher flicked his thumb, sending the coin flying upwards. The coin shimmered in the sun before landing directly into his held-out left palm.

"Heads!" bellowed the teacher, "Team E will have a five minute head start! You will begin in ten seconds, prepare yourselves!"

Satou and Ryuji exchanged a nod, and prepared to dash into Field Gamma.

 _This set-up time they've received will make this treacherous for us... We'd better be careful._

10...

9...

8...

7...

6...

5...

4...

3...

2...

1...

"Team E, begin!" Satou and Ryuji took off into the metal jungle, through the large gated entrance. Snipe led the rest of the students to the monitoring area. Kazuto and Endo remained stationary at the entrance.

Kazuto was once again deep in thought attempting to come up with a decent strategy for victory. Endo felt she should leave him alone until it was time to start. Several minutes had passed, sounds of steam hissing and metal pipes grating echoed throughout the industrial site. The rest of the students were in a secluded building with Snipe, monitoring the actions of Satou and Ryuji through a set of live camera feeds.

Kazuto and Endo stood silently at the entrance of Field Gamma.

"Team D, start!" said Snipe, announcing on an intercom.

Kazuto's eyelids shot open, dashing forward with Endo.

"Kazuto, they've had plenty of time to prepare! Let's proceed with caution," exclaimed his partner, steeling herself for battle.

Suddenly, a large metal dumpster soared towards the two at blistering speed.

Kazuto stopped in place with a steady, unwavering stance, and turned to his left, where the object was approaching them. He quickly raised both of his arms, aiming his palms at the fast approaching object.

He fired from both hands, a large shockwave soared towards the dumpster, slowing its intense acceleration. The large, heavy object slowed to a crawl before resting just several inches away from Kazuto and Endo.

Kazuto wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, panting slowly.

"That way," he huffed, pointing past the dumpster, "They're... over there!"

Endo's eyes lit up with strength, she nodded quickly and ran into the direction Kazuto gestured.

 _Is she going on her own...?_

"Hey, wait! I didn't mean-" yelled Kazuto, reaching out as she continued her chase.

"We need to come up with a plan! This is reckless!" he exclaimed.

Her eyes narrowed as the direction she advanced towards became flooded with smoke.

 _I'd say I only have about 4 shots left until I collapse..._

A loud voice cut through his thoughts.

"Kazu! Clear the smoke!" hollered Endo.

 _It's no use thinking so hard!_

Kazuto sprinted towards the smoke, and unleashed another blast from his right palm, paying mind to not fire directly at his partner. The billowing smokescreen immediately dissipated, diverging in all directions.

Endo spotted a silhouette's feet zip past a corner. She pursued the individual with unwavering courage, moving forward without a moment's hesitation. Her partner advanced with a modest pace. Kazuto's breaths became shorter from using his quirk in rapid succession. He knelt over, resting his palms on his knees.

 _Keep moving. Endo needs you._

Kazuto stood up, and continued to jog towards Endo's direction.

As Endo cleared the corner, Ryuji was in sight.

The girl stopped in place, before walking towards Ryuji. The boy reached a dead end, and was forced to turn around to face his pursuer. His eyes narrowed as a dense fog gradually filled the alleyway.

"Now, Satou!" yelled the boy, a faint smoke trail escaping his lips.

A large wooden crate zipped across the ground, barreling towards Endo.

* * *

 **[Quirk: Stasis]**

 _Satou can put an inanimate object in a temporary stasis, essentially freezing an item in place. When an object is in 'stasis', it stores kinetic energy. Satou must make physical contact with the object in order to lock it in stasis. The stasis lasts 3 seconds. During that time, he can apply force to the object, which will be stored as kinetic energy. Once three seconds have passed, the object's stored kinetic energy will be expelled at once._

This ability is suited more towards strategists, since it is not applicable to living things, and takes time and a large amount of energy to be used properly.

If Satou overuses this ability, he will enter a state of paralysis that lasts several hours.

* * *

Satou clenched his fist, "Dead on!", he exclaimed.

Kazuto, Ryuji, and Satou's eyes widened in shock as the crate passed right through Endo, resulting in her fading away like an apparition.

 _This must be one of her illusions!_

The fog reached its maximum opacity, cutting off vision of Ryuji from Kazuto and Satou.

Ryuji panicked as he desperately searched for her, unable to see in the heavy fog. The dense cloud brought a strong chill down his spine.

She emerged once again from the haze, and dashed towards the boy.

He opened his mouth and exhaled a jet of smoke in her direction. Ryuji's expression transitioned from satisfaction to a sour frustration as his target vanished.

Endo appeared once more, this time with a leap, retracting her right leg into a wound up position. The boy quickly turned his head, but it was too late.

She delivered a devastating kick to his stomach, sending him rolling backwards, coiling in pain.

Endo skipped over, dusting her shirt off with the back of her left hand.

"I'll be taking that," she hummed, reaching over and claiming the flag that was in Ryuji's back pocket.

The boy could only reply with a groan, trying his hardest to not spit out something other than smoke, reaching for the silhouette as she faded into the fog.

"I just need to get this to Kazuto, and we win..." muttered Endo to herself, making her way towards Kazuto.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kazuto and Satou were locked in their own battle.

"That flag of yours is mine," declared Satou, pointing directly at Kazuto.

Kazuto wheezed before wiping the sweat dripping alongside his left temple, "Then why don't you come and take it?" He bit his lip, and frowned slightly.

 _What am I saying? My lungs are screaming... I need to catch my breath._

"No hard feelings!" yelled Satou, clenching his fists and dashing forward, preparing to duke it out.

Endo appeared from the dissipating fog, unnoticed by the two boys about to brawl. Curiosity struck her hard, as she stood from afar and decided to observe.

"Let's see what Kazu is capable of on his own..." muttered Endo.

Kazuto dodged a swing by Satou, pushing up the bridge of his glasses as they nearly dropped to the ground. His wheezing quickened as his breath shortened, and his heartbeat increased in cadence.

"You're not looking so good Kazuto, maybe you ought to give up?" boasted Satou, throwing another left swing towards the boy.

Kazuto moved his body to avoid the punch, but frowned as he fell into a trap.

 _Shit-_

Satou's fist stopped as his motion ceased, his feint had successfully baited his opponent. Satou swung a right punch and landed a direct hit just below the center of Kazuto's face, slamming his fist into his nose and mouth.

The impact produced a stomach-churning crack.

Kazuto fell back, skidding on the pavement. He covered the afflicted area delicately with his hands, blood seeping from his nose and down his lips. His breathing had become dangerously labored with his inability to breathe through his nostrils.

Satou advanced slowly, confident in his victory.

Kazuto grit his teeth, and raised his left palm, aiming it at Satou. He steeled himself, and fired another shot. A shockwave soared towards his opponent with great speed.

Satou quickly dove out of harm's way, successfully avoiding the blast. A sigh of relief escaped his chest, bringing a new focus to his eyes. He charged towards his opponent, and prepared to throw another punch.

 _Predict his attack! Counter! Counter! **Counter!**_

Satou thrust his fist towards Kazuto's face once again, determined to strike at his new weak point. His brows raised in surprise, as Kazuto stepped in as soon as the punch was in motion.

Kazuto ducked past Satou's fist, and smashed his own into Satou's left cheek.

The two backed off, reeling from sustained damage.

 _Ugh... My fist is stinging!_

Satou shook his head left and right, quickly recovering from the damage. He gripped his opponent's shoulders and shoved him to the ground.

"Your punches are light!" exclaimed Satou, properly mounting his fallen opponent, and preparing to strike him as he's held down.

Kazuto held up his arms in defense, attempting to protect his face.

Punches rained down, making their way past his brittle guard.

 _This hurts._

Another punch landed, striking him in the chin.

 _I want to give up._

Another punch landed, this time on the right cheek.

 _It's hard to keep my eyes open._

Another punch landed, a fist slammed on his left cheekbone.

 _It would feel good to just fall asleep now._

Kazuto's arms fell, leaving him open to Satou's final blow.

Once again, a voice cut through his thoughts.

"Kazu! Get up!" exclaimed Endo with a worried wide-eyed stare.

His glassy eyes gained light, as he snapped back to consciousness. Satou was winding up his arm for the final strike, aimed directly for Kazuto's nose. With barely enough time to react, Kazuto pushed up with all of his strength, fighting for some ground to maneuver. Finding an opening, Kazuto squeezed out of the mount, and kicked with everything he had, sending Satou stumbling backwards. Kazuto quickly scrambled to his feet, and managed to hold himself upright despite his damage.

Choking on blood and saliva, he fought through the pain and raised his right arm, aiming the palm directly at Satou, recovering from the push.

 _I'm not sure why, but for a second, it felt as if I had no limits._

Kazuto fired a shockwave from his palm, the force sending him rolling backwards. The blast sent Satou flying, colliding with a large metal pipe. The sound of his back slamming against the metal echoed. Satou lay limp, knocked unconscious by Kazuto's blast.

The boy fell to his knees and keeled over, holding himself up with his hands, his dripping blood pooling into a small puddle below.

Endo approached, and held the other team's flag in front of his face.

"Good job, Kazu" said Endo with a warm smile.

"Yew, tbou" muttered the boy.

Kazuto groaned and wiped his face with the flag's cloth.

The two stared at the flag in horror, mouths agape.

The rest of the class monitoring the battle expressed their disgust with a collective cry.

"Team D wins..." said Snipe over the intercom, still disappointed that the flag has been soiled.

"I-I'm sorry! I thought it was a handkerchief or something..." exclaimed Kazuto, flush with embarrassment.

Endo kneeled and wrapped her arms around Kazuto in a chilly embrace, "Who cares, we won".

His weight shifted onto her, as his last sliver of consciousness slipped away.

A small audible screech echoed on the intercom.

"Everyone, escorts will soon help bring you to the bus, where you will be examined by part of our medical facility. Go ahead and get patched up by recovery girl, grab a juice box, some snacks, whatever you need. Make sure you come back though, you ought to witness the rest of these matches. If you can't make it, I'll have recordings you need to watch. Our homework tonight is an analysis on the flag-battle matches," lectured Snipe.

Kazuto's glasses shifted downward, as he slept quietly. His breathing had improved, and his heart had slowed down from its fast pace.

"What an interesting guy," said Endo, holding on to his limp body, awaiting an escort to the bus.

* * *

Class 1-B crowded around the monitors displaying the aftermath of the first match.

"I'm surprised. I thought that nerd would get his ass kicked," scoffed Riku, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Are you kidding me? I knew he'd win. _Plus_ , that match was incredible! I'm feeling inspired," said Rock, stretching his triceps.

"Yeah, you're up next. Think you're up to it?"

"Definitely, me and Renka got this," chuckled Rock, raising his hand for a high five for his partner to reply to.

Renka stood, and tilted her head, unsure of what to do. Rock's positive expression deflated as he was left hanging.

"I agree with Rock. I'm confident in our abilities," she affirmed.

Snipe cleared his throat, and began his announcement. "We're taking a short break, we need to get the injured to the bus for the medical staff to take a look at them. After that's done, it'll be Team B against Team C."

Renka looked to her right and saw Momochi Ruka and Chideta Maeda conversing, most likely coming up with some sort of strategy. Chideta noticed her glance, and replied with a confident smirk. She turned away, slowly closing her eyelids and cracking her knuckles.

"Feeling fired up?" questioned Rock.

"It's nothing, I just want to make the most of this opportunity to show what we're capable of today."

Riku looked around, with a confused expression.

"What's wrong, Riku?" asked Renka.

"...Which one is Morino Hide again?" he asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"...Your partner?"

"Shit, I know that. I just don't know who it is."

"I'm sure you will figure it out. Rock and I have to go prepare for the match now, good luck," said Renka, taking Rock by the arm and moving to a secluded location.

"Break a leg," Riku simpered, revealing a menacing grin.

"Something tells me he meant that literally," chirped Rock, rubbing his chin with his pointer finger.

* * *

 _The first day of class at U.A.! What better way to start than with a combat exercise? I didn't introduce every single student in the class in the beginning, since I really don't like dumping a ton of characters on at once. They'll make appearances in the upcoming chapters, covering the matches of the flag-battle exercise. This chapter was focused on Kazuto! The events revolved around him, and his inner dialogue was there, and etc._

 _The reason he doesn't seem as strong as the first chapter, is because he's not on the drug. The drug was what enhanced his abilities._

 _Sorry for the slow upload, finals and all. Hopefully the pace will speed up from here on out!_

 _Once again, thank you so much for reading!_


	6. A Loser's Affinity

_This story is heavily based off of the anime/manga series "Boku no Hero Academia". This work of fiction may contain spoilers towards the series, as well as references and characters. I do not own any of the references or characters from the original series that may appear in this story. This work and its original characters are fictional, any resemblance to real people living or dead is purely coincidental._

 **To be unique, is to be one of a kind, unlike anything else. What does that mean in a world where everyone is unique?**

 _The world has transformed dramatically. Unique abilities that are normally impossible for an average human to achieve, are now commonplace. Nearly 80% of all of humanity is equipped with some sort of ability or mutation. These unique traits are known as "quirks". When individuals are given power, they are capable of making decisions that can affect others._

 _Would you still be a hero if you lost?_

* * *

 _The pairings from the previous chapter, in case you forgot!_

 **FLAG BATTLE PAIRING  
**

 **TEAM A.** YAMADA MASANORI  & HIGASHI SHOU **  
**

 **TEAM B.** MOMOCHI RUKA  & CHIDETA MAEDA

 **TEAM C.** NAKANO RENKA  & ISHIKAWA ROKURO

 **TEAM D.** FUJIMOTO KAZUTO  & ENDO EMIRI

 **TEAM E.** SATOU YOUJI  & AYAMA RYUJI

 **TEAM F.** USUI ISAMU  & YANAGI JUNKO

 **TEAM G.** KAYA ASUKA  & HIROSE ANZU

 **TEAM H.** HACHIMAN GARURU  & SASAKI TAMIKA

 **TEAM I.** AKUTAGAWA RIKU  & MORINO HIDE

 **TEAM J.** TENGEN DAIKI  & CHIGUSA KOTONOHA

 **FLAG BATTLE MATCHES**

 **Match 1.** TEAM D. vs. TEAM E.

 **Match 2.** TEAM B. vs. TEAM C

 **Match 3.** TEAM A. vs. TEAM G

 **Match 4.** TEAM J. vs. TEAM H

 **Match 5.** TEAM I. vs. TEAM F.

* * *

Monday, April 10th 9:51 a.m.

"Hey, he's waking up," said Endo, inspecting his condition.

Kazuto laid on a soft patch of grass just outside of Field Gamma, close to the parked bus. Recovery girl and the two other medical assistants tended to the wounds of both teams, making sure they were properly looked after. Ryuji and Satou had woken up shortly after the match was finished. Afterwards, they were escorted by the medical squad to the entrance of Field Gamma, next to the bus. Kazuto was gently lowered onto a comfortable section of the grassy field surrounding Field Gamma. Recovery girl had slipped a small cotton pillow under his head to ensure his slumber was peaceful.

He groaned feebly, before gradually rising to a hunched sitting position.

"...How long was I out?" Kazuto inquired softly, hovering his fingers over the bandaged bridge of his nose.

Endo crouched to nearly his eye level, and held out his glasses. He thanked her before taking them and sliding them on.

"It's been a little over ten minutes. The next match has probably already started," she said, taking his hand and helping him stand.

Recovery girl approached the two and extended her hand, holding several hard strawberry candies.

"Go on, take them, I insist." she cooed.

Kazuto and Endo exchanged a forced grin, and reluctantly accepted the sweets.

"Now Fujimoto, how are you feeling?" hummed Recovery Girl, scribbling down information on a document clipped to a clipboard.

"I'm feeling very well, thanks to you and the rest of the medical squad. Thank you very much."

"Oh, you're so polite for someone your age," she praised with a beaming smile, spurring Kazuto to bashfully bow his head. "Thankfully, there wasn't much work to be done."

Endo chimed in, pointing to Kazuto's nose.

" _Wasn't much work_? His nose was literally broken by Satou's punch! You fixed it in seconds, it was absolutely stunning to see your quirk in action."

Kazuto twitched, "Was it really that bad?"

Recovery Girl chuckled, patting the boy's back.

"Well it was broken, but after a quick smooch, it was as good as new...! For the most part, anyways."

"Huh? What do you mean by tha- _Augh_!" gasped Kazuto as Endo prodded his nose with her right pointer finger.

"I didn't heal it completely. Snipe may have said it was alright for you to sit out if you had to, but I agree with what he said earlier. You really should witness the fights with your own eyes. If I had healed it completely, you would probably have to continue laying down from losing most of your stamina," lectured Recovery Girl.

Satou and Ryuji finished patching up, and approached the group of Kazuto, Endo and Recovery Girl.

"Yeah, sorry about..." muttered Satou while rubbing the back of his neck, "...breaking your nose and all."

"Oh, that's alright. It was a good match," remarked Kazuto, extending an open hand to Satou and Ryuji.

They both took a turn shaking the boy's hand.

"Well, it was just a lucky kick that did me in anyways, I guess I was taking it easy on the first day," chuckled Ryuji, looking away to the distance.

Endo snickered, which lead to an amused giggle. Ryuji's face reddened slightly, as a small growl escaped his mouth, along with a faint trail of smoke. Kazuto and Satou then joined in the laughter.

"We'd better hurry back, Snipe wanted us to witness the matches," Satou mentioned, unwrapping a strawberry candy and popping it into his mouth.

"That sounds good," replied Kazuto, turning to Recovery Girl. "Thank you again, I really appreciate what you've done for all of us."

She replied with a warm smile, "Do your best everyone."

The group of students felt a small morale boost from her kindness, and bowed to Recovery Girl and her assistants to show their gratitude. After exchanging waves, they set off to the monitoring area to spectate the next match.

* * *

The teams had already coin-tossed, had the head start, and entered the battlefield.

The patched-up party arrived at the monitoring area, and were greeted by several students.

Kotonoha jogged over to Satou, and placed her hands on his cheeks, turning his head from left to right as she inspected his condition.

"Are you okay Youji? Are you dizzy at all?"

"I'm fine. Just a couple of scratches," Satou said, brushing her hands away from his cheeks as they enveloped in a warm pink hue.

Satou and Kotonoha turned their heads towards the screen as they heard a classmate gasp in shock. The second match was already underway, pumping up the rest of the class with its intensity.

* * *

Chideta sprinted towards Rock and Renka with reckless abandon, his motions completely telegraphed, allowing the two to prepare for the assault.

Suddenly, his speed increased exponentially, making the orange tint of the lens of his goggles appear as a stream of light. The white-haired boy leaped forward into a swift twirl, and swung his right leg towards Rock. The top of his foot slammed into the boy's face, sending him spiraling into a grouping of crates.

The two had no time to react to the sudden burst of speed. Renka could only follow Chideta with her eyes as her partner was downed by his strike.

The wooden crates crunched under him as he landed from the brutal kick. Rock struggled to rise from the cold ground of Field Gamma, surrounded by dust stirred up from the impact.

Warm blood oozed from his mouth, and his face burned like it was just scorched by a hot frying pan. Despite their tentative planning, Rock and Renka had failed to account for such unbelievable speed. As he spat to rid his mouth of the blood, he noticed an audible clatter. One of his right premolars had been knocked out by Chideta's devastating kick. The knocked out tooth continued to bounce, falling into a storm drain.

"Rock!" cried Renka, running towards the fallen boy.

He had dropped his team's flag after crashing into the group of wooden crates. It laid on the ground just several inches away. He weakly reached out for the flag, only for it to be taken right before he made contact. Rock's eyes shot open, tracing the flag as it was lifted from the ground.

"Too bad," said Ruka, standing proudly unscathed, holding both team's flags.

He could only lower his head, clenching his fists tightly. He was defeated by a single strike in mere seconds. To make matters worse, it had been broadcast for his entire class to witness. He felt like he could just crumble to ash.

"Team B wins!" said Snipe through the intercom, slowing Renka's dash, bringing her to a stop.

"We... _lost_?" uttered Renka with a puckered forehead and heavy heart.

The winners turned their backs on the losers, and walked away.

 _I see... We lost. I'm pathetic..._

Renka quickly knelt down to Rock's side and examined his condition.

"Are you alright? Rock?"

The boy's consciousness slowly faded away as his friend's calls drowned out into the darkness.

* * *

As the match concluded, Snipe had made the monitor showing Rock and Renka cut to black. The second match had given Class 1-B mixed emotions. Some students were overtaken with excitement, prepared to showcase their abilities. Others were not so enthusiastic, and were fearful of the potential injuries to come.

"You know, I had him pegged for someone who was tougher," Satou commented, "Maybe Chideta was just too strong?"

Kotonoha grimaced, still staring at the blank monitor. Her eyelids drooped, unable to say anything.

"That sucks..." said Ryuji, brushing his right hand through his thick unkempt hair, "...I can relate to what he's going through."

Endo frowned, and looked towards Kazuto's direction to see his reaction. He had been biting his lip, and clenching his sweaty fists. His expression was contorted, pained to see that his friend had been beaten so easily.

"Kazu? Are you alright?"

Kazuto's expression quickly lightened, as he was slightly embarrassed to be caught with such intense emotion in public.

"Yes! I'm fine. That was just a bit of a shock. Though, I am curious to see someone else's thoughts on the match..."

Kazuto looked over his right shoulder, towards Riku. He had stood calmly, with his eyelids lowered.

" _Erm_... Forget it, I suppose he's busy preparing for his upcoming match." said Kazuto.

Riku tilted his head left and right, an audible cracking noise spurring his team partner to twitch in surprise.

"H-hey, can you please stop making all of those cracking noises? They make me uncomfortable," mumbled Morino Hide, Riku's partner in the flag battle exercise.

A timid-looking boy stood beside Riku, twirling a lock of his hair with his pointer finger, looking downward nervously. Hide was riddled with effeminate qualities, from his long eyelashes, to his shoulder-length warm pink hair. His skin was fair, and splashed with warmth. He was undoubtedly one of the tallest students in his class, standing at nearly six feet and four inches. Additionally, his physique was slender and toned. His entire being seemed to give the impression of warmth and gentleness.

Riku inhaled deeply, and exhaled while glaring at Hide with furrowed brows. The pink-haired boy flinched at the sudden aggression, and moved back a step. Riku lowered his eyelids, and lifted them once again as his expression shifted to a neutral one.

"Sorry, I know that guy is your friend and all... It was a pretty abrupt loss," muttered Hide apologetically, doing his best to avoid walking on the conversation's eggshells.

His team partner sighed and shook his head, "Get ready for our match."

Although his determined eyes did not match his quivering lip, Hide prepared for the upcoming battle with all the courage he could muster.

* * *

Rock's eyelids slowly opened, straining from the bright sun shining above, through the industrial jungle of Field Gamma.

Renka peered into his peripheral vision from above, examining his condition once again with curious eyes.

" _Gah_!" exclaimed the boy in surprise, jolting upwards, headbutting his partner directly in her chin.

She let out a small grunt, cradling the afflicted area gently with her hands, and immediately turning her attention to the perpetrator, only to see him laying with stars orbiting his head.

The boy clutched his head, writhing in agony from new and old damage.

"It appears you've been concussed," uttered Renka, still rubbing her chin from the sudden impact.

"...Sorry," whispered the boy, slowly rising, settling for a sitting position.

She only looked at him with a confused expression.

"I lost us the match..."

A small trail of blood seeped from the boy's lower lip. Renka's brows raised, startled from the sight of his blood.

She looked around for something to wipe it off, eventually settling for stroking the streak of blood with her thumb.

Rock tilted his head slightly, confused as to why she would suddenly do that. After raising his fingers to his lower lip, he inspected the remains of blood on his fingertips. Renka noticed his irises shifted to a deep azure color, a clear indicator for his current mood. His eyelids lowered, as his expression grew downcast.

"It's my fault as well," said Renka.

Rock raised his head, but was cut off by Renka before he could say anything else.

"So, I'm sorry too. Let's be honest, even though we planned and prepared, no one can be ready for _everything_."

Renka slowly traced her left palm around the bandages on her right arm, averting her eyes from the boy.

Though he struggled with his head battered and leaden, he managed to offer her a genuine toothy grin.

"Come on, let's head back," he said, shakily rising from the floor, "What, you gonna let your _injured_ partner stand all by himself?"

She let out a small gasp, and focused her stare onto Rokuro's teeth, which were now missing a piece of the set.

"He kicked your tooth out?!"

It was as if the pain that Rock had been ignoring, had suddenly flared into a raging inferno of ache and stinging.

The boy fell, but managed to catch himself against the building beside him. His face twisted as he suffered and groaned from the damage he had sustained.

"Yeah, I guess he got my tooth. It fell into a storm drain too, so I might be stuck with this charming look."

She chortled at his attempt at staying positive, and turned her back to him and knelt, extending her arms behind.

Rock stared with his eyes widened, a nervous drop of sweat trailed down the left side of his forehead.

"You're not planning on _carrying_ me, are you?!"

"It's only fair. I feel like I haven't done anything, and frankly it's making me upset."

"No."

"Why not?" she huffed, her expression souring.

"It's... _embarrassing_. I won't be able to face the others."

Instead, he extends a steadied hand towards her, and helps Renka to her feet. She reciprocates his kindness and ducks under his right arm and stands up straight, giving Rock something to lean on.

"How's this?"

A short sigh escapes his mouth, indistinguishable from one of pain or relief.

"Thanks," he said, beaming brightly.

The two made their way to the bus parked outside of Field Gamma. After maneuvering through the maze-like training ground, they arrived at the entrance of Field Gamma. With a short step past the gate, they spotted Recovery Girl and her assistants sitting in lawn chairs under a table and parasol set, enjoying a couple of cold beverages.

Renka searched around, scanning the area.

"Something wrong?" asked Rock.

She shook her head, and slowly ducked out of Rock's arm.

"No, it's nothing. I was just looking to see if our opponents were here."

"What, you're that desperate for a second round?" Rock jokes, walking ahead of her towards the medical team.

She shoots him an irritated gaze for a split second, before smiling warmly, unable to maintain her false rage.

Rock raised a hand weakly, and introduced himself before the medical team.

"Hi there," he said nervously, "I'm Rock."

Shortly after, Renka introduced herself to the team as well. The two exchanged small talk with the assistants and Recovery Girl as they tended to Rock's wounds. Unfortunately for Rock, Recovery Girl's quirk couldn't _recover_ his tooth. At the very least, she was able to heal his injuries completely.

He inspected his condition with the front camera on his phone, opening his mouth wide, checking his new tooth gap.

 _It doesn't look so bad._

"It shows character," mused Recovery Girl, chortling amongst her peers.

Rock frowned from the small dose of humiliation. His partner placed a hand on his shoulder, and tilted her head, gesturing to finish up so they can head back to the monitoring area. With a nod, he thanked the medical team and waved farewell before following Renka's lead.

* * *

Monday, April 10th 10:27 a.m.

Before Rock and Renka made their return, the fourth match was already nearing its climax. As the two entered the monitoring area, all of Class 1-B were fixated on the intense match, staring intently at the screens.

 _Dang, the third match is over already? I suppose it was another quick match. This must be particularly good if everyone is so absorbed. Guess I'll get a closer look._

The boy gestured for Renka to follow as they ventured towards the screens, and peered above the crowd of students to get a better view.

Kotonoha appeared on the screen, shown dodging a large wooden crate with a well-timed duck. Her team's flag was tucked in the waist of her pants. The flower on the left side of her head began to expel spores, floating slowly towards her assailant.

"Take notes everyone," lectured Snipe, crossing his arms, holding his head higher with an impressed stature, "Using your environment's a smart choice, especially using items to fight from a distance. After all, you don't know what abilities your opponents have. Well done from Sasaki!"

Suddenly, Tamika froze in place, her face twitching as she struggled to move. Slowly, her movements lessened more and more until she could no longer move an inch.

The class cheered as Kotonoha brushed the hair hanging over the right side of her face, exhaling a sigh of relief.

 _Hm, that must be one of her abilities. Paralysis of some kind?_

Snipe stared in surprise, before composing himself and shrugging off with a hearty laugh.

"Take a gander, Chigusa displayed her ability of subduing her opponent without harm! Very nice!"

On another screen, another battle was taking place. It seemed that the teams had split up in order to prevent an easy victory.

Hachiman Garuru, the student akin to a gorilla both in strength and appearance, stood on top of a small building and looked down at his opponent.

Renka and Rock overheard a conversation held by two students, regarding the current battle taking place.

"Hey, that's him. The one looking up at the gorilla."

"The one you mentioned earlier?"

"Yeah. That's Tengen Daiki, he scored second highest on the physical portion of the entrance exam. He's supposed to be super strong."

"Glad I didn't fight that dude."

"Hey, I wouldn't wanna fight a gorilla either."

Rock and Renka looked close at Tengen, studying his features, analyzing him.

He was a little under six feet in regard to height, and in good shape. He was lean, yet packed impressive muscle. Tengen was dark-skinned, with an unkempt black mop of hair upon his head. His most noticeable physical feature had to be his eyes, sharp like daggers, cutting through whatever he gazed upon with powerful intensity. Also, a zig-zag trail of electricity just ran around his body-

 _Wait, what?_

As if struck by lightning itself, electricity surged through Tengen's body. The spectators all expressed a unique reaction to his ability. Most of which were of surprise.

Renka nudged Rock, and mumbled "That was _shocking_."

Other nearby classmates had heard her joke, followed by an audible groan of disgust.

Rock chuckled, thanks to his appreciation of puns.

Hachiman flinched at Tengen's sudden sparks, but quickly composed himself and readied for battle. He lifted a barrel, and tossed it downwards to his opponent.

The class couldn't help but laugh from his attack being much to similar to a video game.

The laughing was cut short, when Ryuji quickly interjected, "Holy shit!"

"Language, Amaya!" Snipe chided, his eyes not leaving the screen.

Ryuji quickly covered his mouth with his hands.

The barrel crashed down, bursting into chunks and clusters of wood, stirring up a cloud of dust. Tengen had already moved from his initial position, surprising not only most of his classmates spectating, but also his opponent. Hachiman's eyes were wide with surprise, scanning the area with the mindset that " _he couldn't have gone far."_

Kotonoha arrived at the scene, also confused as to where her partner had gone.

With another nudge, Renka smirked as she made her remark once again.

"That was _shocking_."

"Renka... It's not funny if you do it twice," answered Rock, rubbing his cheek with his right hand.

She frowned slightly and bit her lip, "Really? I think jokes are even funnier the second time..."

A classmate replied with an irritated tone, "It wasn't funny the first time."

Renka sheepishly retracted into her shell, and continued to watch the screens.

Her partner placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.

Tengen appeared behind Hachiman, and placed a palm on his back, sending a powerful electric shock throughout his body.

Screams and shouts echoed through the class in the monitoring area, telling Hachiman to watch out.

With a groan leaking through grit teeth, the gorilla crumbled to his knees, and then collapsed.

"H-How did he appear there so _fast_?" questioned Rock, rubbing his eyes vigorously, staring at the screen in disbelief.

Rock looked around, noticing most of his peers were just as astounded as he was.

"You didn't see?" said Renka, turning her attention to her partner.

"No, you saw him move?"

"He moved fairly quick, not to mention most of you were focused on my pun. I suppose it was difficult to notice his movements."

"Well? Go on and elucidate me!" said Rock, holding out open hands, as if expecting something from Renka.

"When Hachiman was holding the barrel, his burly arms were obscuring his vision, making it easy to get out of his sight. This is where Tengen's technique really shined. As soon as his opponent began to throw the barrel, he made his move. He quickly scaled the small building, hopping on a crate to gain more height before climbing a large pipe. He was also incredibly fast in making his way behind Hachiman. All in all, he looks like he could make a tough opponent."

"Nice observation Nakano," said Snipe, nodding his head.

Tengen pried the flag out of Hachiman's unconscious clutched hands, and tossed it down to Kotonoha. She reached out with both hands, and managed to properly catch it.

Snipe approached the microphone for the intercom, turning it on and clearing his throat.

"Team J wins! You guys know the drill. Let's pick up the final match in ten minutes. Good job all of you."

While the rest of the class cheered in applause for the well-fought battle, Rock could only look down to his fists, wallowing in a deep feeling of inadequacy.

He was approached by a group of familiar faces, snapping him out of his funk.

Kazuto stood before him, examining his condition. His lips curled upwards as he determined there was no noticeable damage.

"Well, your irises aren't blue, so you must be fine, right?" joked Kazuto.

With a small snort, Rock poked Kazuto's bandaged nose with his right pointer finger. The bespectacled boy winced in pain, and swatted Rock's hand away.

"Yeah, I'll live. What about you? How's the nose?" said Rock, smiling widely.

The group gasped and stared in awe at his new tooth gap. Rock immediately shut his mouth, his face growing more red by each passing second.

Kazuto stuttered, unable to speak clearly from his astonishment, "I-It's fine, what about y-y-y..."

"He knocked out your damn _tooth_?" exclaimed Satou, mouth agape, hand resting on his right cheek.

"Well, yeah," answered Rock sincerely, rubbing the back of his neck.

He was suddenly shook by Ryuji, who was a little too flustered, apparent by the small trail of smoke escaping his mouth. Rock held a hand over his mouth and nose, squinting from the small cloud forming near his face.

"Aren't you too _chill_ about all this, Rock? You're missing a tooth dude! You look like you belong in _elementary school_!" said Ryuji, which only continued to fuel Rock's embarrassment, slowly reversing his acceptance of his new smile.

"Uh... W-Well I..." uttered Rock, fiddling with his thumbs.

"Give the dude some space," said Endo abruptly, slowly pushing Satou and Ryuji back a couple of steps.

She extended a hand to Rock, who gingerly accepted the handshake with a clammy grip.

"You're Kazu's friend, right? My name is Endo Emiri, it's nice to meet you," she said politely.

"I'm Ishikawa Rokuro, but as you've heard these guys say, my nickname is Rock. You could call me that too if you'd like."

"Rock sounds good," she replied.

With a calm nod, she then turned to Renka and extended her hand once again.

"And you are?" said Endo.

Renka took her hand with a firm grip, and shook it with a strong but controlled motion.

"Nakano Renka. It's nice to meet you. Your match was particularly exciting."

"Thank you, and it's nice to meet you as well," chuckled Endo, "If you don't mind me asking, how do you think your match would go if Chideta hadn't landed his kick?"

Renka looked forward with a determined stare, before glancing to Chideta drinking a bottled water in the distance.

"He's strong. I will admit that. However, I know for a fact that Rock is strong as well. We've sparred before, and I know he could keep up with Chideta. We would stand a good chance."

"Hm, I see. Well, Kazu seems to hold him in high regard, and I hold _Kazu_ in high regard, so I acknowledge his strength as well," replied Endo, crossing her arms and shifting her weight to a more comfortable stance.

Rock could only stare at the individuals openly acknowledging his efforts, with raised brows, warm cheeks, and irises shifting from a plain black, to a bright lemon hue.

Kazuto quickly took notice, and decided to make it public knowledge.

"Oh! Is someone getting happy from all of this praise? You're kind of like a dog wagging his tail, Rock!" said Kazuto, nudging the boy in the side playfully with his elbow.

" _Augh_ , I swear I'm gonna start wearing shades!" laughed Rock, pushing Kazuto away.

The group laughed together, enjoying the pleasant company. Endo took interest in Rock's quirk, examining the condition of his eyes, attempting to insult him in order to shift the color out of curiosity, much to Rock's displeasure.

Riku called out to his partner, "I'll be back in a sec, Hide. Keep warming up."

His pink-haired partner nodded, and continued his stretching and warm-up exercises.

Rock looked over, and noticed Riku heading towards him.

"Hey, Riku... Guess you saw, huh?" muttered Rock, offering a quick smile in greeting and nervousness.

"Yup. Time to show you how it's done, huh loseeee... _urrrr_..." said Riku, speech slurring as he laid eyes upon Endo.

Rock tilted his head in confusion, as he witnessed his friend lose control of himself.

Riku's heartbeat quickened, his palms became sweaty, and he slowly lost the ability to form words. He had never felt this way before. It was alien. Unfortunately, he could not pull his gaze away from Endo. His throat became parched, and it felt like he had stopped breathing.

"Are you well?" asked Endo, stepping closer to examine his condition.

" _Muh_... I..." he shuddered, gesturing with his hands, pointing to himself, "Riku..."

 _What... the... hell...?_

After deciphering the meaning of his babbling, she raised her eyebrows as it clicked.

"Oh, I'm Endo Emiri. Nice to meet you, Riku," revealing a sincere smile.

Riku's knees buckled from her smile, bringing him to stumble backwards.

" _Guh_...Gotta Goah..." said Riku, limping away like a hunchback, back to his partner.

The others were perplexed. _That_ Riku was acting like a complete fool.

Endo turned to the group, and quirked an eyebrow, wondering why they all looked so puzzled.

"Does... U.A. let mentally disabled people in to the Heroics Course?" she questioned.

Rock quickly shook his head, "N-no! It's probably just, y'know, jitters! Final match, in front of the whole class, you know, I-I would be nervous too!"

Hide overheard Rock's messy banter, and quickly became overcome with anxiety.

After a couple of minutes, the group was back to casual discussion, thankfully moving past the train-wreck that had just transpired.

Tengen had returned from the labyrinth of Field Gamma, followed by Kotonoha shortly after. She thanked him for a good match, and went their separate ways. Kotonoha noticed the little group that had formed, and made her way over to join in.

"That was pretty nice," said Satou, holding up his hand for Kotonoha.

She promptly slammed her palm into his, producing a satisfying clap.

"Thanks Youji, I'm glad at least one of us won," she replied with a wink.

With a red face, he pulled her close and ruffled her hair with his left hand.

"Kotonoha, you totally missed it! You should've seen Riku earlier," exclaimed Ryuji, bouncing up and down ecstatically, holding in his laughter so he can properly speak.

"Hm? What do you mean?" she questioned, holding a finger to her lower lip.

A cold sweat dripped down Rock's face, as he could see Riku in the distance mouthing " _Shut. Him. Up._ " while doing some squats in preparation for his match.

Kazuto detected Riku's dangerous stare, and took the initiative. He quickly restrained Ryuji, and covered his mouth with his hand, smoke escaping through the cracks of his fingers.

Kotonoha and Endo frowned slightly, looking towards the two boys struggling before them. Renka and Satou could only hold their sides, recalling the previous situation once more, unable to contain their giggling. Rock sighed in relief, as Riku's killing intent slowly dissipated.

Riku glanced towards Endo once again, and was immediately flustered.

Time continued to pass, until it was time for the final match to begin.

* * *

Monday, April 10th 10:40 a.m.

"Alright, Team F wins the coin toss! Five minute head start for them. We'll begin in ten seconds!" Snipe announced on the intercom.

Usui Isamu and Yanagi Junko stood at the starting line along with Morino Hide and Akutagawa Riku, just before the large metal gate entrance of Field Gamma.

Isamu stood at five feet and eleven inches, a fair-skinned well-built individual. He had brown, long spiky hair, and a mean demeanor written all over his face. His small black irises along with his sharp eyes, combined with all of his other characteristics, made him appear as the model delinquent. He was pompous, and ill-mannered.

Junko was significantly shorter than her partner, standing at a humble five feet and five inches, with a slim physique. She had pale skin, and freckles everywhere from her face to her toes. Her dark red hair was tied in a messy ponytail, which matched her garnet-colored irises. She held her team's flag in her right hand, and clenched the pole tightly.

Hide glanced over to his opponents, quarreling over who was going to take the lead.

"You haven't even told me what your quirk is!" Junko snapped, jutting out her chin as she grimaced.

5...

4...

"I already told ya, it's all about makin' a good first impression, an' showin' off at the right moment!" said Isamu, the corners of his mouth quirking up, revealing a sharp set of teeth.

3...

2...

Isamu threw his arms to his side, flexing sharp clawed hands. He hunched over, and strained with an audible grunt. A set of large bat-like wings sprout violently from his back, tearing through his gym clothes, and spread outward, stretching and flapping several times.

" _Phew!_ You had no idea how long I've had those tucked away!"

Junko and Hide loudly shrieked, overtaken with bewilderment. Riku was in a different world, keeping to himself.

* * *

 **[Quirk: Gargoyle]**

 _Isamu has the physical attributes of a gargoyle! He has large wings granting him the ability of flight, as well as sharp teeth and clawed hands and toes. He is blessed with incredible mobility and powerful offensive tools!_

* * *

1...

"Team F, begin!" echoed the intercom.

"Let's rock!" bellowed Isamu, picking up Junko, and dashing through the large gated entrance of Field Gamma. He flapped his powerful wings and took flight, carrying his screaming partner.

"Put me down you _fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck_...!" Junko commanded, voice trailing off into the distance.

Hide's eyes remained wide, staring at his opponents soaring high.

Riku stood still like a mannequin, lips sucked in, forehead creased and soaked with sweat. The flag rested comfortably, tucked behind him into the waistband of his pants. His heart had begun to settle down, although he was still shaken. He had never felt such a feeling before. He couldn't get that girl out of his mind. Was he sick? A muffled voice pleaded for his attention, but to no avail.

His partner gripped his shoulders and jostled him back to reality, "Riku! Do you have a plan?! All you've done is make us stretch, and... and I'm freaking out! I mean, that guy just freakin' flew away!"

Riku quickly slapped the hysterical pink-haired boy in the cheek with his right hand, "Calm down motherfucker! We don't need a plan, I'll carry this team."

"Hey! Akutagawa, no violence against your team member!" spouted Snipe on the intercom.

Hide rubbed his sore face, fighting against the urge to cry.

"Alright, I'll trust you." muttered Hide, composing himself steadily.

The two stood and waited patiently for the five minute head start to pass. Before they knew it, it was their time to shine.

"Team I, begin!"

Riku and Hide exchanged a quick nod, and entered the industrial area.

They started with a brisk jog, scanning the area carefully for any abnormalities that could indicate a trap. Slowly, they picked up speed and continued their search, zooming through alleyways and congested sections of the labyrinth.

A small screech was heard from the intercom, "Everyone, this is the final match. Try to put what you've witnessed to use, and do your best! Give us a good show now!"

Riku's confidence was unaffected, for it was already burning bright. Hide's had just begun to ignite, as a small smirk grew on his face.

Through traversing the training ground blindly, they had found themselves against a dead end. It was wider than an alley, a wall of a factory-type building.

They slowed to a stop, and took a moment to take a quick breath. Riku turned his head towards Hide, and noticed a shadow atop his head growing larger and larger. His eyes widened as he realized what was going on. With a swift dive, he tackled and brought his partner to the ground several feet away from his initial position.

" _Wargh_! What are you-" exclaimed Hide, raising his head shakily.

A large CRT television landed before him, crashing wildly and bursting into several shards of glass, plastic and electronic components.

Hide's face grew pale, spurring the two to look skyward.

"Fuckers...!" barked Riku, clenching his fists.

Isamu hovered proudly above, flapping his wings.

The two scrambled to their feet and assumed fighting stances.

While their attention was focused on Isamu, Junko appeared from the shadows of an alley, dashed forward, and wrapped a hand around Riku's eyes. She swiftly removed her hand, and taking several hops backwards to gain some distance.

"What the fuck?!" screamed Riku, reaching around, clawing at the air.

Hide stared in horror, unable to determine what had happened to his partner.

* * *

 **[Quirk: No Sense]**

 _By making physical contact, Junko can rob someone of one of their five senses. She can only maintain the loss of the desired method of perception for ten minutes. She is capable of robbing only one sense at a time. If she chooses to rob a different sense, she will need to make physical contact once again. However, the time limit will not reset when another sense is robbed. Once the time limit is over, she won't be able to rob the senses of the target for an entire day!_

Using this ability on others will rob her target of the desired sense, as well as herself. For example, if she chooses to blind an enemy, she will also be blinded. She is also able to end the ability at will.

There are many useful applications of this quirk, such as robbing herself of her sense of taste when eating a friend's poorly made meal.

This ability is only capable of robbing the senses of living things.

* * *

"Isamu! Fly me away!" yelled Junko, staring upwards to his location, extending a hand.

Isamu nodded, descending to take her hand.

"Hide, I can't see! Get outta here, I'm gonna melt this bitch!" Riku wiped the sweat from his brow, panting heavily.

"Wha? B-But I-I," said Hide, flustered from all of the new information flooding into his head.

"Get the fuck out of here!" his partner screamed, extending his left palm forward, glowing with black flame.

Hide looked upwards to see Isamu nearing his partner, attempting to fly her to a safe location.

He gulped, swung his arms forward, and brought them behind him in a smooth motion, crouching slightly. With a quick exhale, he jumped forward.

Isamu's eyes widened as the pink-haired boy flew towards him, catching him in a flying lariat.

" _Gauhg_!" he croaked, being dragged through the air by Hide.

Hide and Isamu vaulted over several small buildings, before crashing down on a roof a good distance away from Riku and Junko.

* * *

 **[Quirk: Leap]**

 _Hide is able to leap far and high! His body has developed from a young age into what it is today, able to accommodate hard landings, with the legs he dubbed "miracle legs". Seriously, his calves are like that of a Greek sculpture. He can jump to a maximum of around forty feet in the air, and land without repercussion! Although he is mostly a weak-hearted pacifist, if needed he prefers to scrap with his legs._

He also enjoys free running in his spare time!

With his insane agility, you can bet he'll be the first to the scene!

* * *

Hide got to his feet, and looked down upon Isamu.

A loud crack cut through the air, catching Hide and Isamu's attention. They looked towards the direction where Riku and Junko were, and noticed black flames flare into the air violently.

Isamu delivered a quick uppercut to Hide, sending his jaw pointed to the sky, bringing the pink-haired boy to a crumble.

" _Erhg_...!" grunted Hide, reaching out to his gargoyle-like opponent, "W-Wait!"

Isamu flapped his wings, and took flight to rescue his partner.

Meanwhile, Riku and Junko continued their confrontation.

"That was a warning shot. Give me back my sight bitch!" said Riku, the black flames in his left hand roaring.

Junko flinched at his tone, and took another step backwards.

"Okay, okay!" she cried, acquiescing to his demand, raising her hands up in an effort of surrender.

Like a light switch, their sight immediately return to them. A sigh of relief escaped Riku's lips. He returned to a state of tension, focusing his gaze upon Junko, approaching her slowly.

"I already did what you asked!" said Junko. She gasped in the form of a small squeak as her back touched the wall of the factory-like building.

"Thanks," he said flatly, "Now where is your flag?"

Junko scanned the area nervously, unable to locate her team's flag.

"I think I dropped it around here somewhere..." she muttered.

Riku turned his head west, and noticed the flag sitting on the floor unattended. With a triumphant smirk, he walked towards his prize.

Before he got any closer, Isamu crashed down from the sky, knocking up a cloud of dust.

"Back up. I ain't gonna give this away that easily," Isamu stated, shifting his weight and raising his clawed hands into an offensive stance.

"You sure you wanna do this, you crusty fucking bat?" said Riku, cracking his knuckles.

Junko continued to lean against the wall, unable to bring herself to move.

Isamu grit his teeth, revealing their sharp edges. He dove forward, and fiercely jabbed his right clawed hand towards Riku's face.

Riku stepped to the side, avoiding the lunge. He quickly grabbed on to his attacker's arm, and squeezed with a vice grip. With a powerful tug, he brought Isamu forward, leaning on his back. Riku crouched, and twisted as he pulled his arm downward with all of his strength.

Isamu crashed on to Field Gamma's cold hard floor, creating an audible impact that made Junko cringe.

Riku quickly followed up and grabbed his opponent by the collar, and yanked him upwards. Isamu grunted, still reeling from the previous attack, but managed to find his ground and stand upright.

Mercilessly, Riku winded up his left arm, and dug his fist into Isamu's stomach. Isamu groaned, bent forward, coughing profusely.

"Ooh, bad move. You gonna let your jaw hang out all exposed?" Riku questioned with a superior tone.

His opponent growled, his blood boiling from the provocations.

Riku slammed his fist into Isamu's chin, giving him a taste of a devastating uppercut.

Junko covered her eyes from the gruesome battle.

Isamu trudged backwards, stumbling in his groggy steps. His vision was blurry from the heavy strikes.

"Now for the finale!" cheered Riku, skipping backwards.

Hide landed on the factory-like building's roof, and witnessed the fight from above.

" _Holy_... He's not even using his quirk..." the pink-haired boy uttered, biting the fingernails on his right hand.

Riku sprinted forward and took a leap, landing a devastating flying drop kick directly on Isamu's chest.

Isamu tumbled, landing on his back. He laid on the ground, beaten and broken, unable to continue.

Hide descended from the roof of the factory-like building, and landed on his feet. He approached Riku, with astonishment written all over his face.

"Y-You're incredible!" said Hide, barely containing his excitement.

His partner simply grinned, and approached the enemy team's flag on the floor. Riku lifted the flag victoriously, having both team flags in his possession.

The intercom screeched on, the deafening sound of cheering drowning out Snipe's voice. After a quick yell followed by some scolding, the cheering died down.

"Team I wins! Good work everyone, that was a great exercise! Now, if y'all could help pack up and get each other to the bus, we'll be back in no time! We'll be able to head to the cafeteria early for some well-deserved lunch! Oooee, just thinking about it's making my mouth water! Get a move on y'all!"

* * *

Monday, April 10th 10:52 a.m.

"Well, I think that's the last of it," said Satou, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand.

Class 1-B began to board the bus as they prepared to return to campus.

Kazuto was unable to refuse Recovery Girl's offer to sit next to her. The group giggled as he sent them stares that screamed " _help me._ "

The group sat close to the front, with Snipe close by to ensure there was no trouble.

It seemed that the friend circle had expanded since they left the school that morning. It currently comprised of Rock, Riku, Endo, Satou, Kotonoha, Renka, Ryuji and Kazuto, who was stuck sitting next to Recovery Girl and her medical assistants.

Rock had sat next to Riku, while Renka sat across them to the left along with Kotonoha. Thankfully, Endo was seated behind Riku, next to Satou, while Ryuji sat across them to the left with Hide, who sat quietly.

Hide hovered close by to Riku, but couldn't bring himself to interact, being intimidated by the size of his clique, and crippled by his social anxiety.

The rest of the students found their own seats, some paired with their partners from the flag battle exercise, and some had no preference of whom they sat with.

"So Rock, _that's_ how you win a match. It's almost like you forgot everything I taught you!" boasted Riku.

Renka chimed in curiously, "You taught Rock how to fight?"

"Basically, yeah. He followed my strenuous workout plan and became who he is today with my help. You should've seen him before, he was a complete-"

 ** _"AAAAaaaa-"_**

Rock quickly interjected with a loud yell, and was promptly silenced by Snipe's powerful chop to his forehead.

"Strenuous workout plan, huh?" she chuckled, tilting her head to inspect Rock's condition from across the bus.

"Mhm, he's been following it for about three years now. Not bad, for his standards I suppose." snorted Riku, smiling with lowered eyelids.

 _Riku is always trying to destroy my good impressions!_

Rock rubbed his forehead, grumbling at his harassment.

 _How can I get him back? Hmm..._

Suddenly, a devilish smile curled on Rock's face. Renka and Kotonoha's mouths were agape from the sheer terror of his appearance.

Rock's eyes darted over to his right, to see Riku sitting casually in the window seat, swiping through his phone.

 _Time for some payback._

He scooted a bit so he could speak to the students seated behind him.

" _Hey Endo? Would you mind switching seats with me? I've got to talk to Satou about something_ ," whispered Rock, as innocent as he could possibly seem.

She quirked a brow, curious about what he had to speak about, and why he had to whisper about it.

"Sure, no problem." she replied.

Riku looked to his left questioningly, wondering where Rock was going. As Endo took Rock's old seat, he became as pale as a ghost.

"Hey Riku," said Endo, "Those were some fancy moves during your match."

An evil laugh could be heard coming from Rock, followed by some giggles by the rest of the group.

Riku could feel his past symptoms coming back to hinder him once again. It came slowly, then all it once.

" _Thuh... Thankssssssssssuh..._ " he croaked, dripping with sweat.

Endo frowned, unsure of how to continue the conversation. Thankfully, Renka read the room and engaged Endo in a conversation about heroines and their impact on current day heroism.

Riku sank into his seat, completely and utterly embarrassed.

"So, what'd you wanna talk about?" asked Satou, unwrapping another one of Recovery Girl's strawberry candies.

"Hm... I suppose, I wanted to ask how you feel?" replied Rock.

After popping the candy into his mouth, Satou said, "About losing, right?"

Rock nodded, fully engaged on the conversation, intent on getting some feedback from a fellow loser.

"I'm frustrated. That's normal though, isn't it?"

"Well... yeah..."

"It's kind of like, I feel like I could have done just a little more, and maybe we could have won. Maybe just another punch or two, and Kazuto would've been out like a light."

Rock looked down toward his hands, his eyelids lowered. After a second of thought, he raised his head and turned to Satou.

"Well, what about Endo? She was still there," Rock said, not particularly convinced.

Satou snapped with his fingers, "Oh, you're right. I guess we really couldn't have won."

Endo turned around, and peered over the bus seat. Riku's eyes locked on to her, and he nearly passed out from her sudden movement.

"Did you guys mention me?" she asked.

Rock shook his head, "Nah Endo, it's nothing."

With a quick nod, she turned around and continued her conversation with Renka.

"You know, thinking about it that way... I feel kind of better. Knowing I wasn't strong enough, kind of makes me want to train even harder." said Satou, smiling with a newfound determination.

Rock opened his mouth, but was at a loss for words. All he could do, was reply with a toothy grin of his own.

Snipe stood from his seat and raised an arm.

"Excuse me, may I have your attention please? I just wanted to say thank you to our wonderful medical team for all of their hard work. Please, give them a hand."

The entire bus filled with applause, followed by modest bows of the head from the medical team.

"Also, I want to congratulate you all for your hard work. I'm looking forward to being your teacher, and I hope you look forward to be my students!"

"The bus will arrive back at campus in about twenty minutes. We'll hit the locker rooms and change back into our uniforms, then head for the cafeteria for some _ambrosia!_ " said Snipe, clapping after his announcement.

The praise left the entire bus in a good mood.

Eventually, Rock had figured out what he wanted to say.

"Hey, Satou?" asked Rock.

"Hm?"

"Why don't we train together sometime? I'm sure we could improve together."

Satou's eyebrows slowly raised from Rock's suggestion.

"Sure, I won't go easy on you though," Satou joked.

At that moment, the two losers shared a connection.

A loser's affinity.

Maybe next time, they'll come out on top as winners.

* * *

 _Wow! That's the sixth chapter, longest one so far! Sorry it took so long! After wrapping up the flag battle exercise, the rest of the first day of school can continue!_

 _Please remember to leave any comments or feedback, I truly appreciate it! Thanks for reading!_


	7. Cake and Downpour

_This story is heavily based off of the anime/manga series "Boku no Hero Academia". This work of fiction may contain spoilers towards the series, as well as references and characters. I do not own any of the references or characters from the original series that may appear in this story. This work and its original characters are fictional, any resemblance to real people living or dead is purely coincidental._

 **To be unique, is to be one of a kind, unlike anything else. What does that mean in a world where everyone is unique?**

 _The world has transformed dramatically. Unique abilities that are normally impossible for an average human to achieve, are now commonplace. Nearly 80% of all of humanity is equipped with some sort of ability or mutation. These unique traits are known as "quirks". When individuals are given power, they are capable of making decisions that can affect others._

 _Even heroes need to unwind._

* * *

Monday, April 10th 11:20 a.m.

After the tough matches of the flag battle exercise, Class 1-B were on their way back to campus, ready for a shower and a hearty meal. The thought of enjoying Lunch Rush's heavenly cuisine raised the spirits of the bus' passengers.

As the students were conversing among themselves, Snipe stood and began to speak.

"As I mentioned previously in the classroom, I've recorded each of your matches as we witnessed them in the monitoring area back on Field Gamma. Your homework tonight will be to choose a match, study the match, and then write an analysis. Upon completion, you will save your analysis in the 1-B drive, gotta save paper. Any questions?"

Junko raised a hand.

"I left my laptop at home, what should I do?" she questioned.

"Ah, have no fear Yanagi. If you make your way to the U.A. Library, we have plenty of computers for you to use. You all should check it out sometime, it's rather nice."

Small chatter continued throughout the bus, bringing a pleasant lively atmosphere.

Although the time the students and Snipe have known each other is short, it's impressive how the teacher can remember all of their names properly.

Kazuto had found it awkward to be the only one socializing with Recovery Girl and her medical assistants, but he quickly found them to be interesting enough to form an engaging conversation.

Ryuji had joined in on Rock and Satou's conversation on training in their spare time in order to prepare for future exercises. After all, they were fellow losers.

"Hey Renka," Rock said aloud, waving his hand to further reach for her attention.

She sat further upright and turned her head, raising her brows to reveal her attentiveness.

"Wanna join in on our conversation? We're planning training sessions for us losers!"

Renka immediately grimaced after hearing the word " _loser._ " She sank back to sitting posture, and continued her conversation with Endo.

Rock slowly lowered his arm, "I guess she's not interested..."

"Man, can you stop calling us losers? It was alright at first, but it's bringing me down," sighed Ryuji, exaggerating a wide frown.

Rock quickly apologized with a nervous grin and slight shrug.

Riku eavesdropped on the conversation behind, and chuckled as Rock's social ineptitude slowly bubbled up.

Endo rose slightly, adjusting her position in her seat. In the process, her elbow slightly brushed Riku's arm, bringing him to a state of hyperventilation and nausea.

Kotonoha simply looked out the window, enjoying the blurs of passing scenery.

The bus whizzed through the city, passing the concrete jungle with a steady speed. The dream of having lunch early became more and more tangible. In no time at all, the class had finally reached U.A.'s campus, apparent by the cherry blossom petals floating through the wind.

Before they could disembark, Snipe had one final announcement to share.

" _Ahem_ , if I could have your attention once more please," said Snipe, successfully garnering the attention of the bus, "You are now free to move about the campus. Once you change, it's up to you what you do next. Return to your dorms, take a shower, read a book, go eat lunch, I don't know, it's up to you. Class will resume at 1:00 p.m., I'll see you all then!"

The passengers of the bus exited in an orderly fashion, thanking their driver before they got off. The class separated, all prepared to finish their business.

Most of the little group of chums had departed, leaving only Rock, Renka and Hide.

Hide turned to the two and fumbled with his thumbs. As their eyes met, the pink-haired boy quickly shrunk, swiftly looking to his right to avoid their gaze.

"Um..." whispered Hide, clearing his throat before raising his volume, "My name is Morino Hide. I-It's a shame that your match ended so abruptly..."

Rock smiled crookedly, unsure of how to react to Hide bringing up the match once again, albeit in a polite and empathetic manner.

Renka focused a fierce stare, frowning ever so slightly. It was as if a menacing aura emanated from her person. It was clear that the loss was a sore spot for her.

Hide could definitely pick up on subtle changes in the atmosphere, flowing from Renka's malice. His face quickly lost it's warm pink hue, and was washed over with a cold sickly blue.

"H-Hey! Thanks Hide!" exclaimed Rock, attempting to alleviate the heavy mood. "I'm Ishikawa Rokuro, but you can call me Rock!"

Rock glanced over to see Renka, still upset over her loss, but more so at Hide for mentioning it.

Rock nudged Renka on her right arm with his left elbow, and cleared his throat to get her attention.

"Nakano Renka," she stated. With a short sigh, her expression lightened, much to Hide's relief.

"I thought your flying lariat was _insane_! I felt like jumping up and cheering after seeing that!" spouted Rock, his enthusiasm overtaking his new acquaintance.

"You _did_ end up jumping and cheering", chuckled Renka.

Hide's warm color returned to his face, and seemed to glow more red than it had initially appeared.

"Oh, that was... I was just..." muttered Hide, unable to bring words together. He settled for a simple shrug and laugh to express his acknowledgement and appreciation.

Renka reached into her pocket and fished out her phone, tapping the circular button towards the bottom center. The screen flashed on, revealing the time in bold lettering. The phone read the time as 11:32 a.m.

"I'm going to take a shower and change, then probably head to the cafeteria. What about you two?" asked Renka, sliding the phone back into her pocket.

"Shower? Is that necessary? It's not like you really did anythin- _hurgh_!" joked Rock, slumping to the floor on his knees, struggling to breathe.

 _I guess it's too soon to be making jokes like that..._

Renka had quickly thrust her fist into his stomach, knocking the wind out of an unprepared Rock. With a huff, she walked away to the main doors of the campus.

" _W_... _wassajoke_... _ih_ _wassa_ _joke_..." groaned Rock, slowly recovering as Hide rubbed his back.

Passerby students couldn't help but stare at the boy writhing in pain on the floor. Some had even witnessed the event transpire, much to Rock's chagrin.

* * *

Rock traversed through the bustling halls of U.A., eventually arriving at the locker rooms. After locating the locker he left his belongings in, he packed them all into his backpack, and made sure to close the zippers.

The male locker room was comfortably spacious, ensuring every student had an ample slice of their own area. Rock casually strolled out of the locker room, doing his best to not stare at any other students. Once he had left the locker room, he took a moment to think of what to do next, and decided a shower was in order. Dirt and mud were smudged on to his body, mainly his hands and arms, with traces left on his face.

Strangely enough, he hadn't attracted any unwanted attention from any other students for his appearance. It must not be uncommon to see students roughed up.

 _I figured the top hero academy would be a bit more... prim and proper._

The boy checked the time with his phone.

11:52 p.m.

 _Plenty of time for a refreshing shower, and a nice meal at the Cafeteria._

Finalizing his planning, Rock exited the main campus building and ventured towards his room at Heights Alliance.

* * *

Monday, April 10th 11:59 p.m.

Scrolling through the weekly hero rankings on his phone, Rock reached forward and opened the door to the dorm building.

A familiar hero caught his eye, narrowing his focus.

 **Turbine, the whirlwind hero, ranked #7 on the pro hero rankings.**

According to a small article attached to his rank description, he had recently prevented a potentially gruesome vehicle collision, saving several lives in the process.

 **A quote from one of the drivers mentioned, "It all happened so fast, I had shut my eyes as I slammed on the brakes. When I opened them, the cars were stopped, and no one was hurt. Standing before me was Turbine, standing triumphantly with a wide grin."**

Rock inhaled shakily as the article filled him with excitement.

After finishing his reading, his eye trailed off towards a more recent article.

 _ **Salary Man in Shibuya Suddenly Attacks Civilians!**_

 _By Takeda Haruma_

 **On April 8th at 9:43 p.m., a salary man identified as Watanabe Yuuto, was on his way home from work, sifting through the bustle of Shibuya Crossing. According to eyewitnesses, the man suddenly fell to his knees, clutching his head in agony. Watanabe quickly rose to his feet, morphing into a grotesque mutation, resembling some sort of man/preying mantis hybrid.**

 **Straightaway, he wildly swung his scythe-like arms, resembling a mantis' raptorial legs, into the congested traffic of Shibuya Crossing. Several civilians were injured, and three were killed. Several heroes in the area managed to suppress Watanabe's movements, allowing the police to properly restrain him.**

 **No other information is known regarding this incident.**

Rock's mouth ran dry, making it difficult to swallow. Although this incident was far more horrific, he couldn't help but connect it to what happened to Kazuto. Random rampages like this were rare. Yet, they were becoming disgustingly more common.

His desert-like mouth caused him to cough. He made his way over to the kitchen of 1-B's dorm building.

The smell of ramen noodles wafted through the air, a familiar and attractive scent that Rock knew well. In fact, he knew it too well to mistake it for anything else.

Several feet ahead of him stood Hirose Anzu, waiting for a bowl of instant noodles to finish cooking after the hot water was added. Upon closer inspection, her bowl was the same brand and flavor that him and Riku would usually indulge in.

As much as his body desired, he couldn't bring himself to salivate. He opened the top right cupboard above the sink, and grabbed a tall glass. Glancing over to the fridge, he noticed it had an ice and water function. After pushing the glass on the designated lever, cubes of ice descended into his glass. He then proceeded to fill it with cold water provided from the fridge, and downed the glass in record time. Aside from the dryness provided by the shock of the article, he also had not had anything to drink since early morning.

Needless to say, it was a life-saving drink.

"Thirsty?" inquired Anzu, who couldn't help but watch the boy chug the tall glass in a surprisingly short amount of time.

Rock chuckled, slightly embarrassed that he was such a spectacle. He extended a hand, his lips curling upward at the ends.

"I don't believe we've met, I'm Rock," he said.

"Rock... That is a rather unique name," said Anzu, recalling seeing him during his flag battle exercise match.

Anzu extended her own hand in kind, stopping before their hands made contact. Her eyes trailed towards the boy's muddied hands and arms.

Rock quickly retracted his hand, and dashed to the sink, earnestly scrubbing the filth off of his hands.

"Sorry! I haven't showered yet, that was the first thing I was gonna do, but I got sidetracked by my thirst and all, and my name isn't actually Rock, it's a nickname, my name is actually Ishikawa Rokuro, but most people call me Rock because it's shorter and..." muttered Rock, his embarrassment growing by the second.

Somehow, he always managed to make a fool of himself.

"I am... Hirose Anzu," she stated. Anzu stayed quiet, seemingly processing all of her thoughts, taking her time before speaking.

 _Hirose Anzu... She was in the third match of the flag battle exercise if I'm not mistaken. Apparently that match had ended quickly._

"May I call you Rock?" Anzu requested.

"Yes, of course! I prefer it that way."

"Alright, Rock it is."

Anzu stood a few inches shorter than Rock. Her expression remained neutral for long periods of time, only changing for slight showings of emotion such as a smirk or frown. Everything about her seemed to resemble a pale whiteness. Her skin was incredibly light, appearing almost sickly. Her eyes were less wide than most, creating an alluring gaze with her muted, light grayish-blue irises. Anzu's short, layered, bobbed black hair was a stark contrast to her general appearance. A few notable idiosyncracies include her habit of studying the person before her, and taking her time before replying in a conversation.

All in all, she seemed rather plain.

"By the way, that ramen is delicious! I eat it with Riku all the time," he chirped, drying off his freshly washed hands on a cloth rag.

She looked away from Rock, and directed her focus to the bowl of ramen. Anzu removed the covering of her meal, and spun a fork into the noodles, effectively stirring the broth while simultaneously collecting noodles on to her utensil. With a few puffs of breath to cool down the steaming collection of noodles, she gingerly took a bite. Afterwards, the girl cooled the soup with the same method she used on the noodles, and sipped a small amount of the liquid.

Her eyebrows raised slightly, breaking the stone cold neutrality of her resting face.

 _I guess it was her first time trying this kind of ramen._

"What do you think?" asked Rock, staring unabashed at Anzu's meal.

"... It's very good," she answered plainly.

He grinned, doing his best to not reveal his missing premolar.

"Well, it was nice meeting you! I'm gonna take a shower then head to the cafeteria. I'll see you later in class," said Rock, waving as he marched up the stairs.

Anzu raised a hand to express her farewell, staring off as Rock continued up the staircase. As he left her sight, she returned to eating her meal.

* * *

Monday, April 10th 12:16 p.m.

After a brisk shower, Rock donned his school uniform once again, fastening his tie in the bathroom mirror to ensure everything was in proper order. His hair sagged downward, unable to keep it's previously fluffy and upright appearance. Applying several hair products and using a blowdryer brought his signature style back to life. After checking the standard wall clock hanging over his desk, he reached for his backpack and headed out the door.

As he continued heading down the hallway, descending through the staircase, the building was thoroughly empty. Even on the first floor, Anzu was nowhere to be found.

 _I suppose everyone took Snipe's advice, and headed for the cafeteria..._

Exiting the 1-B dorm building, Rock placed a finger over his lips as he continued thinking.

Several thoughts drifted through his mind, making time pass as he walked to the cafeteria.

 _What to eat at the cafeteria._

 _Losing the flag battle exercise._

 _Renka punching him in the stomach._

 _Where Riku might be._

 _What else is on the curriculum today._

 _How to train with the others from now on._

 _Villains and quirk-enhancing drugs._

Before he knew it, he was right before the cafeteria, its doors propped open invitingly. The sounds emanating from the large room were the clamor of students and teachers alike.

Scanning the cafeteria for familiar faces, he managed to spot Renka sitting at a table with Riku and Kazuto. Before approaching the table, Rock decided to purchase his meal first to save a second trip.

As he waited in a long, but fast moving line, inching towards an open window serving Italian food. After a couple of minutes of anticipation, Rock was up to the window.

"What'll it be?" asked Lunch Rush, adjusting his chef hat, correcting it's previously askew positioning.

"Oh, um... Gosh, I'm not really sure. Can you surprise me?" asked Rock sheepishly.

With a gallant puff of the chest, Lunch Rush gave a determined nod.

Lunch Rush skillfully spun a set of utensils, assembling a dish at impressive, almost blinding speed. Rock stared entranced, surrounded by various other students equally invested in the performance.

After a minute or so, a beautifully crafted meal sat upon the window counter.

"Pesto chicken florentine and caprese salad on the side," said the chef, cleaning off his utensils.

"It looks amazing! How much do I owe you?" chirped Rock, salivation trailing shortly past his lower lip.

"That'll be 600 yen," stated Lunch Rush.

Rock's eyes widened to an extreme degree, baffled by the cheap price. He fumbled around his back pocket, revealing a green themed wallet based off of the classic hero, " _Ollie Olive_ ", popular among children. After handing over the payment, he excessively thanked the chef several times. With a skip, he cheerfully carried his lunch over to the table he had previously spotted.

"... It was a bit of a bother at first, but I ended up really enjoying my conversation with Recovery Girl and her team," Kazuto responded unevenly, the bandage over his nose bringing out his voice in a nasal quality.

Rock placed his tray of fresh Italian cuisine gently on the table, before sliding into a comfortable seat.

"Hey everyone, how's it going?" Rock said with bubbly joy, glancing at his friend's expressions to see if they were in as good a mood as himself.

Unfortunately, Renka turned away, putting her soreness of his previous joke on display.

"Not bad," murmured Riku, mouth full of authentic Japanese udon.

"Renka, I'm sorry about earlier..." squeaked Rock, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head with his right palm.

She faked a scowl, before returning to a calm expression, "I forgive you."

Kazuto gaped with a raised brow, eventually going back to eating his double cheeseburger and waffle fries.

Chewing on his udon noodles and thoughts, Riku reached the limit of his mulling, "Rock, I got a question for you."

Rock quickly popped a portion of his caprese salad into his mouth before raising his head towards Riku.

"I don't remember you being so weak," stated Riku, placing his chopsticks down.

The rest of the table's eyes widened, taken aback by Riku's blunt statement.

"What... do you mean?" asked Rock, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"You literally got _one-shot_ by that goggles kid. I expect that shit from _Ryuji_ , but I thought you were tougher than that," said Riku in a terse and serious tone.

"It was a really heavy kick..." muttered Rock, holding the cheek where he was struck by Chideta's kick.

Renka held a hand to her chin as she recalled their match. Cutting into the conversation, Renka said, "His movements were telegraphed, he was clearly hiding his speed for a surprise attack. Once he was close enough to ensure a solid hit, he activated his quirk, whatever it was, and ended up landing a blow to Rock's face."

With a sigh, Riku adjusted his position to sit more comfortably.

"The Rock I know wouldn't crumble after a kick like that. I've seen you take more punishment from bigger foes, and not once did I ever see teeth fly," said Riku.

"What are you saying?" questioned Rock, a lump forming in his throat.

"I just don't believe you're a little bitch who can't take a kick from a side character, that's all," Riku said dryly.

 _Damn, maybe he's more upset than I am._

"How did the kick feel? Try to remember in detail," insisted Kazuto, setting his food aside to join into the discussion.

With a reluctant expression, Rock lowered his eyelids, and thought back to the match.

 _The kick... It really hurt. It even ended up knocking me out. That hasn't happened in awhile. His foot, hit me like a metal baseball bat. Metal... metal?_

"Well?" asked Riku, placing his elbow on the table, and leaning his head on a closed hand.

"It felt like _metal_. Like I got hit with a metal baseball bat or something," said Rock, imitating the expression he had getting struck by the kick, achieving a laugh from Renka and Kazuto.

"A steel-toed boot?" Kazuto said simply.

"What's this going to accomplish? Are we gonna snitch or something?" questioned Rock, seeing no point to this conversation.

"No. We don't even know for sure whether he had steel-toed boots on or a metal plate in his shoes or whatever. I just wanted to know what you made of it," Riku responded, looking down to his meal and slurping up a helping of noodles. Looking up for a moment, Riku swallowed his mouthful of noodles, "Don't lose to fodder characters, Rock. We're headed for the top."

 _The top... That's right. Riku and I were supposed to be at the top of the class. That was the plan._

 _After seeing all of my classmates in action, I was feeling a little down. They were all so spectacular._

Rock looked down to his hands, staring at his rough fingers and palms before clenching them into fists.

 _Riku always knows what to say. I won't lose next time. I'll train harder than before!_

The boy raised his head, a new light of determination shining brightly through his lemon irises. Riku lowered his eyelids as he smirked, returning to his noodles, savoring the gourmet taste.

After the discussion had ended, they continued to talk about other's matches and the quirks of their classmates. Eventually, Kotonoha managed to make her way to the table, grabbing a seat and joining the conversation. The atmosphere, cuisine, and company made for a relaxing and refreshing change of pace. It was a delightful lunch, and the start of many more to come.

Once everyone at the table had finished their meals and brought the used silverware and dishes to the designated area for return, Kazuto revealed he had been carrying pocket hand sanitizer. He was happy to share, feeling content with spreading good hygiene with his peers.

With only ten minutes until class resumes, the group agreed to walk to their classroom together. As soon as they had entered the 1-B classroom, Riku, Kazuto and Kotonoha were confronted by other students in the class, being questioned about their abilities. Rock and Renka were brushed aside, coming to the conclusion that " _only winners get the attention._ " Once Ryuji and Satou were questioned, Rock and Renka quickly realized that they had no chance to actually show off their abilities, and that it had nothing to do with winning or losing the match. Eventually, Riku and Tengen were the only ones being fawned over, most likely due to their quirks being the flashiest. While Tengen paid little to no mind to the various questions, Riku basked in the limelight, savoring the attention he was given.

After what seemed like an eternity of flattery and observation, Snipe stepped in to the classroom, albeit a few minutes late. His delay was apparently due to the fact that he had spilled barbecue sauce all over his favorite tie, and he'd struggled to properly clean it. As a result, he was in a bit of a sour mood. Regardless, class began and progressed from a crawl to a steady, comfortable pace. Snipe continued to cover the syllabus given on the hologram devices, spending time to explain the way class will work in the future, as well as answering anyone's questions.

* * *

Monday, April 10th 2:46 p.m.

As class was reaching it's conclusion, he used the last of their time to explain the assignment once again, due the next day, to be completed before the start of class. Snipe had recorded the flag battle exercise in its entirety, and supplied DVDs, blu-ray discs, thumb drives, and digital files available in the 1-B drive, accommodating for most methods of review. Each student is to review one of the five matches, and write an analysis of the chosen match. Properly coming up with ideas such as 'what this team could have done better' or 'what errors they had made', and coming up with points to back up their thinking. All in all, a rather basic first assignment.

The clock struck 3:00 p.m., and Snipe properly dismissed the class. He had decided to stay behind for another half hour to ensure students could ask any questions they didn't have a chance to ask. Students casually stepped out of the classroom, joining the large flood of students in the hallways of U.A.

Rock marched out of his desk and stood in front of the teacher's desk, looking directly at Snipe. The teacher raised his head, tilting his head questioningly.

"Rokuro?" questioned Snipe, interlocking his hands and laying them on the table.

"I wanted to tell you, that..." said Rock, doing his best to maintain a confident expression, "... that I'm going to give it my all. You haven't seen anything yet, Professor Snipe."

Snipe took a moment to study the student before him. A nervous boy, who believed he had everything to prove.

"Alright. I've got high hopes for ya then," Snipe moved forward, extending a hand.

A shiver shot up Rock's frame, a resolute glint in his eyes flaring. With a puff of his chest, he clasped the teacher's open hand with his own, raising and lowering with a synchronized harmony. Rock broke the hold, and stepped aside, grabbing hold of his backpack's straps. He bowed to the man, and exited the classroom.

Snipe chuckled to himself, tucking the rest of his belongings into his suitcase before leaving the classroom.

* * *

Monday, April 10th 3:21 p.m.

The weather seemed to have taken a turn for the worse. Clouds above darkened and clumped together, bringing downpour to the U.A. campus. The rain began with few droplets of water landing upon the pavement, producing the familiar petrichor.

 _I love the smell of fresh rain._

Rock scurried to the 1-B dorm building of Heights Alliance to escape the falling rain. Just after he arrived at the front door under the building's generous cover, the drizzle became a shower. According to _Yahoo!'s_ weather forecast, it was the start of a week-long series of pouring. He pursed his lips as he looked towards the rain one last time before heading inside the building.

The first floor was more lively than usual, most likely because of the rain bringing everyone inside. Endo and Kotonoha were seated on the leftmost couch in the living room, watching the fifth match of the flag battle exercise on a laptop. The kitchen was inhabited by Ryuji, who was relaxing and heating up some tea. Everyone else was either outside, in their rooms, or somewhere around campus. After exchanging short greetings to each of the students currently in the first floor, Rock made his way up the stairs.

With a quick turn of his assigned key, he was inside of his room. The glass sliding door to the veranda brought the dim light from outside, bathing the vicinity in a dull gray color. The pitter-patter coming from the rain impinging on the dorm building's roof, created a somber atmosphere that drained the remaining energy the boy had. Suddenly, all he wanted to do was indulge in a nice nap.

However, homework came first for Rock. He also knew deep down that if he napped, the duration would extend far past an appropriate amount of rest, making it harder to sleep later that night. Screwing up his sleep schedule was not a smart way to spend the first day at U.A.

Without further ado, he promptly takes a seat at his desk and opens a thoroughly stickered laptop. After digging around in his pocket, he fished out a thumb drive that was given to him by his teacher. Upon closer inspection, the thumb drive was branded with a small decal of an insignia resembling Snipe. With a shrug, Rock inserted the thumb drive into the USB port of his laptop.

A video window immediately popped up on the screen, much to Rock's surprise. Snipe appeared on the playing video, waving a friendly hand.

"Hello there my student! About to do some homework, eh? I appreciate it pardner! The videos of the flag battles are stored on this thumb drive. I hope you all liked the design of the thumb drive, made it myself. No need to return it! It's a gift from me to you. If you have any questions, feel free to email me!"

The video ended after he gave out his email address.

Rock couldn't help but chuckle at his goofy teacher. Examining his new thumb drive, he discovered that it can hold up to 1TB of data! Certainly a useful storage device.

There were five videos on the thumb drive to choose from, each video being a recording of one of the five flag battle matches.

 _Hm... I didn't have a chance to see the third match at all. I guess I'll watch that one then._

The third match of the flag battle exercise recording opened, although the sound was near silent. Raising the volume of the laptop's speakers seemed to do the trick.

The match was between Team A, comprising of Yamada Masanori and Higashi Shou, and Team B, comprising of Kaya Asuka and Hirose Anzu.

 _If I remember correctly, this match should have been fairly quick. Renka and I didn't spend much time with Recovery Girl and her medical assistants. By the time we'd returned, the fourth match was already in progress..._

Rock's attention was captured after the video displayed an angled view of Asuka and Anzu. They had won the coin flip, allowing them to get the head start. The two girls chose to stand still, awaiting their enemies to approach them.

 _Wouldn't it have been better to get some more distance? Maybe hide somewhere?_

The boy shook his head, deciding to properly focus on the video.

Having met Anzu earlier that day, his attention was primarily directed towards her. She stood straight with beautiful posture akin to a dancer, unperturbed by the enemy team appearing before her. As soon as Team A was within approximately forty feet of Anzu, the quality of the video recording lowered, not enough to make it unwatchable, but enough to assume something was wrong.

It looked as if the video had stopped buffering. Both teams froze, standing still like mannequins.

Rock leaned in to get a closer look at the screen. After careful examination, subtle details were noticed.

Light was emitting from Anzu's face, specifically her eyes, nostrils and mouth. The periwinkle beam wrapped Team B in a mantle of light. Although the quality of the video recording made it difficult to properly study the match, it was still possible to make out that Team B was slowly hovering towards Anzu. It appeared that the beam of light was making the camera fuzzy. As they floated, gravitating to the origin of the light, their bodies remained as stiff as a board.

* * *

 **[Quirk: Tractor Beam]**

 _Anzu can emit light from her eyes, nostrils, and mouth which then converge into a wide beam. Its reach spans roughly forty meters in front of her. Anything that is encompassed by the light is subdued to paralysis, and hovers as if it is weightless, slowly pulled towards Anzu._

When her quirk is activated, she enters a statue-like state, where she is locked in position and unable to move or breathe. She can deactivate her ability at will, although maintaining a continuous beam is incredibly strenuous, and will leave Anzu staggered for several seconds after deactivation. Continued use of her quirk will double the period of being staggered each time it is used.

* * *

Anzu's partner, Kaya Asuka, casually approached the levitating Team A, and leisurely retrieved their team flag from Higashi Shou's clenched hand.

The match ended without a fight.

Shortly after the victory announcement, the video ended.

Rock opened a blank document on his laptop, and prepared to write an analysis on the match. Before he began, an extensive yawn escaped his breath. His eyelids fluttered before slowing their pace, and lowering heavily. With a soft groan, he drifted off into slumber, laying arms on his desk to cradle his head.

* * *

Monday, April 10th 6:34 p.m.

A small trail of saliva dripped from Rock's open mouth, pooling on his desk.

" _Mm_..." mumbled Rock, shifting his head downward while stretching his arms outward.

The rain continued to fall, providing a peaceful ambience to his surroundings.

He jolted up, looking forward, and then left and right, gasping in horror as his laptop was not on the desk.

 _Oh crap, I fell asleep! Where's my laptop?!_

The sound of jubilant laughter filled the room, effectively scaring the boy out of his chair. He rose from the floor, and turned around to locate the source of the noise.

Comfortably sitting upon his bed watching YouTube on his laptop, were Riku and Renka. The two donned apparel one would normally expect individuals to wear after a long day. The clothing being old t-shirts, pajama bottoms, and fuzzy socks.

"Hey, look who's awake! Do you ever lock your door?" chuckled Riku, getting all the laughs out of his system, caused from watching a hilarious video.

"You were asleep for a long time," mentioned Renka, "Have a nice dream?"

"What are you guys doing in my room? _Agh_ -whatever, I need to start typing up my analysis! I need the laptop back," huffed Rock, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

Rock stumbled to his feet, tilting his head and producing an audible crack. He approached the restroom and flipped the light switch, loosening his tie and untucking his shirt.

"It's fine, Rock. I already typed it and submitted it while you were asleep," hummed Riku nonchalantly, passing the laptop to Renka so she could choose the next video.

" _Wha_ -!" the boy turned his head with a look of fear, "Doesn't that fall under plagiarism or something? What if I get _expelled?!_ " cried Rock.

"Naaaah, don't worry about it. I even dumbed it down a bit to make it look like you wrote it."

Rock frowned with a red face, before stomping towards his dresser and grabbing some clothes to change into.

"I'll be out in a sec, I'm gonna freshen up and cozy down," declared Rock, entering the restroom and closing the door for privacy.

Riku and Renka nodded, then turned their attention back to the laptop. She had chosen a video comprising mostly of dogs clumsily bumbling about, laughing at the simple humor. Riku watched with a bored expression on his face.

Rock stepped out of the restroom, sporting a faded Endeavor t-shirt, gray cuffed sweatpants, and plain blue tube socks. Before he could make it to the bed to join the two in their YouTube indulgence, there was an energetic knock on the door.

"I wonder who that could be?" questioned Renka plainly before bursting into laughter from the sight of dogs fumbling around.

Rock dragged his feet through the soft carpet of his room, and opened his room's door. Waiting on the other side was none other than Kazuto, Endo and Ryuji, each smiling and gesturing a greeting in their own way.

"Hey, what's up guys...?" asked Rock, puffing out his right cheek slightly, his surprise evident through his raised eyebrows.

"You guys are hanging out, having a good time without us, huh? Am I right in making this assumption?" interrogated Endo, getting like, all up in his face.

Kazuto and Ryuji stood on the tips of their toes to peek over Endo's shoulders, checking out the room and its inhabitants, to which Riku and Renka replied with a friendly greeting. Riku froze up at the sight of Endo, slowly shrinking into a curled position.

"Ah... Well, I suppose..." Rock muttered, raising his hands in defense.

"Relax, I was just teasing," she said, wearing a smile, seemingly more genuine than her previous expression of distaste.

Kazuto brushed Endo slightly to the side, butting in on the conversation, "We came here to invite you to have some of the cake we baked."

Rock, Riku and Renka's heads raised higher after hearing the word cake. It didn't take long for them to be overcome with anticipation.

Ryuji chewed on his left thumbnail, "Come on guys. I want a bite while it's still fresh. We've got people waiting downstairs too, and I'm not sure if Kotonoha can properly guard that thing. Satou looked _really_ enthusiastic about the cake..."

Rock looked behind for confirmation, and was met with a decisive nod from Renka. Riku was facing the corner, attempting to save face from Endo.

"We'll be right down!" chirped Rock, heading over to his desk to retrieve his phone.

Riku folded the laptop and inserted the power cord into the back face of its bottom half.

Endo, Kazuto, and Ryuji waited patiently at the door, watching the three inside of the room complete their preparations.

The corners of Endo's mouth quirked up, amused by Riku's obvious squirming. She took note of the open door, and took the opportunity to explore Rock's room to get closer to the aforementioned fidgeting boy.

Rock could only spectate as she made her way towards Riku. As far as he could tell, she was his one and only kryptonite. It was hard to imagine anything else that could even come close to making him as flustered as he is now.

Endo placed her hand delicately upon Riku's broad shoulder, doing her best to stifle her laughter as the tension in his body grew, "Is that your laptop, Riku? I really like the cute stickers."

He froze.

Riku slowly turned to face her, and opened his mouth. He shuddered, then closed his mouth as it nervously undulated. Riku's eyes darted, his expression akin to a prisoner pleading for his life before execution, to which Rock replied a lighthearted shrug.

As the sweat began to form on his forehead, something inside him had changed. A cog had begun to move. Something clicked.

"Nah, it's Rock's. I was just watching some videos," Riku commented plainly, suddenly unperturbed by the interaction.

To everyone's surprise, Riku slid off of Rock's bed, and stretched his arms out.

 _Did... did he just overcome his weakness?_

"Alright, cake time!" cheered Riku, pushing Kazuto and Ryuji out of the doorway to venture to the staircase.

Their reactions coalesced, creating a collective confusion that came in the form of a moment of silence. Even Endo had been caught off guard, expecting Riku to melt by her presence. Shrugging off the moment, she followed Riku's lead and left the room. The others soon joined her.

* * *

Monday, April 10th 6:40 p.m.

The group had successfully made it safely down the stairs, no one shoving others in a race to indulge in the decadent dessert. As they reached the end of the stairs leading to the first floor, they could hear Kotonoha fending off someone trying to get the first slice.

After clearing the distance from the bottom of the staircase to the kitchen, Snipe was seen hovering over the cake, like a vulture ready to scavenge a carcass. Satou was forcing the teacher backwards with extended arms.

Kotonoha turned her attention to the group, "Oh! You're finally here, thank goodness."

Ryuji chuckled, "Now Snipe wants a piece of this cake? I thought Satou was the cake's biggest threat, but here he is defending it."

Endo marched forward, and stood firmly before Snipe and Satou, between them and the cake, "It's the chef's right to the first slice, so you guys will have to wait in line."

She swiped the tip of her pointer finger through the chocolate icing, and inserted the scraped topping into her mouth. Her satisfaction of the taste was evident in her delighted smirk.

To avoid all of the ruckus, Rock and Ryuji took a seat on one of the living room couches. Hide and Anzu were also relaxing on individual recliner chairs, in silence, most likely by personal preference. Hide was keeping himself busy by enjoying a crossword game on his phone, while Anzu had her nose in an old book.

"Are you guys waiting for cake too?" Ryuji asked, comfortably leaning into the cozy couch.

"Oh yes, Endo asked if I would like some, and I figured it would be rude to refuse... " muttered Hide, shifting his weight on the chair, reaching down to adjust the fitting of his right sock.

Despite his attempt to stay calm, the boy seemed excited to be included, no matter how he tried to keep it hidden. Ryuji nodded, then looked over to Anzu, who had patiently waited for Hide to finish speaking.

"Endo had asked me as well," said Anzu, marking her page with a tattered bookmark before folding her book shut, "I haven't eaten cake before, and I would really like to give it a try."

Ryuji and Rock gave an incredulous stare, mouths agape by Anzu's lack of experience of such a common food.

Hide smiled warmly and raised an open hand as he spoke, "I'm sure you'll really enjoy it! It's delicious."

She lowered her eyelids and answered with a short-motioned nod.

Another quiet moment followed, brief, but long enough to acknowledge it was there. Although the living room itself was hushed, the din coming from the kitchen area kept the atmosphere lively.

Rock twitched as he perked up, "Oh, Anzu! I didn't get the chance to spectate your match in the monitoring area today, so I watched it on my laptop. Your quirk is really something!"

The delivery of his comment was more enthusiastic than he had intended. It felt misplaced in the living room's relaxed vibe. Rock quickly became aware and toned it down.

"Thank you," Anzu replied, "I'm glad the match ended without anyone getting hurt- _oh!_ "

Kazuto and Endo had arrived with several small plates sitting upon a tray, each holding their own slice of cake. They placed a plate and silver fork for each of them on the living room table, prompting those sitting to scoot forward, closer to their slice.

"Wow Kazuto, you're so helpful," teased Ryuji, grinning like a clown.

The bespectacled boy rolled his eyes, and let out a small chuckle. After placing the last plate of cake, he brushed his hands against each other, displaying a satisfied expression.

"I'm heading back to the kitchen," Kazuto said to Endo.

She raised her left hand and waved, "Thanks for your help Kazu."

Ryuji and Hide took their initial bite, producing varied positive reactions. They all turned their heads towards Anzu, to witness her very first bite of cake. As she chewed and savored the dessert, her eyes trailed towards her plate.

"So? What do you think?" asked Ryuji, tilting his plate to shovel the cake into his mouth.

Although Endo was satisfied with Ryuji's enthusiasm, she couldn't shake the feeling of disgust from witnessing him gorge on her creation.

Anzu gently wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, "I... do not like cake. Thank you for the experience, Endo."

The chef theatrically leaned back, holding the back of her hand to her forehead, pretending to faint.

Hide waited until his mouth was no longer full to speak, "Oh, what don't you like about it?"

Anzu narrowed her eyes, laying her fork gently on the table, "It's much too sweet for my tastes."

Ryuji nudged Rock on the arm before whispering, " _Bet she drinks her coffee black._ "

The boy gave a small chuckle out of politeness, coming out as a small grin and hummed breaths.

Endo stood before Rock with a serious expression, uncrossing her arms to point a finger directly to his face, several centimeters away from his nose.

"You haven't tried my cake yet. I simply cannot leave without witnessing your genuine reaction," she declared, still maintaining a thespian demeanor.

The boy stared at her finger nervously, before slicing off a generous piece of the cake with his fork. With a quick prod, the portion of cake was steadily pierced, ready for consumption. With everyone watching, he gingerly inserted his forkful into his mouth. Rock's eyes widened, the taste triggering a shift in his iris' hue.

The group gasped, noticing the color of his eyes shift from black to lemon.

As Rock continued to eat his slice of cake, he took the time to explain his quirk to everyone. He scooted back deeper into the couch, and sat cross-legged. During his explanation, the others moved closer to get a better look at his eyes.

"So the cake made you happy," Ryuji commented, having cleaned off his plate.

"In short, yeah," said Rock, finishing the last of his slice.

"You're a ' _heart-on-your-sleeve'_ kinda guy huh..." said Hide.

Satou, Riku, Kotonoha, and Renka entered the living room and took a seat where it was available. They looked exhausted, presumably from defending the cake from Snipe to ensure everyone present had their own slice.

"Hey Rock," said Satou, slumping into a vacant couch seat, "I saw something interesting earlier after my trip to the campus gym."

Rock tilted his head slightly sideways, curious as to what Satou was referring to.

Kotonoha handed him a clean handkerchief to wipe the excess cake off of his face. Rock expressed his gratitude with his trademark toothy grin. The girl couldn't help but laugh at the empty space where his tooth used to be.

"I guess I decided to get a head start in our personal training, and spent some time at the campus gym. After a quick workout, I was changing in the locker room when I saw Chideta. Y'know, the guy that did..." Satou opened his mouth widely and pointed to his right premolar, "... that to you."

Rock's eyes narrowed, and the lemon hue in his irises faltered, reverting back to their regular old black color, "That's nice..."

"Well, the _interesting_ thing I saw was his right leg."

"Studying people in a locker room?" chortled Riku, scrolling through social media on his phone.

"No, just his leg, you dick. It was completely metallic," stated Satou coldly, trying his best to mask his irritation.

"So... Chideta has a robot leg?" asked Kotonoha, taking a sip out of a warm cup of hot chocolate.

"I would say that's a fair assessment," Riku commented, his eyes not leaving the screen of his phone.

Satou groaned, "It's a prosthetic leg. Rock, you got smashed in the face with a metal prosthetic leg."

After a short moment of silence-most likely everyone processing the new information and gathering their thoughts-the conversation resumed.

"He really got me, huh? Thanks Satou, that is pretty interesting, since it answers questions I've been thinking of all day. But even so, all it comes down to is, I still wasn't strong enough," replied Rock, shifting his weight forward, placing his elbows on his knees, locking his fingers together.

Renka took comfort in his humble words, expressed in a warm smile.

"That's what I've been _saying_ , Rock! You're gettin' soft. Have you been following the Riku Workout Regimen?" teased Riku, wearing a shit-eating grin.

Caught off guard, Rock stutters, "W-well... I haven't since we got to U.A..."

"You're better off following the Renka Workout Regimen," Renka stated matter-of-factly, running her left hand through her hair.

As Renka and Riku began to bicker, the group joined in laughter.

Rock shot a nervous smile, and then gazed towards the large windows of the living room.

The sky was painted a dark gray, highlighted with tints of purple and blue. Occasional flashes of light brilliantly illuminated the night, followed by the roaring of the sky. These outbursts were accompanied by a constant deluge of rain colliding against the windowpane. The glass was veiled by a continuous curtain of drizzle, blending the scenery into an amalgam of drab colors and shapes.

The heater was running strong in the 1-A dorm building. The heat wasn't uncomfortable like a hot summer day, but a warmth you could get cozy with. A group of youths getting to know each other in the comfort of their new home.

The living room was blessed with a pleasant ambience, akin to a cafe that feels familiar, that one would take shelter in during a rainstorm in the city.

It was one of those rare moments you wish could last forever.

The first day of their new life was behind them, leaving many more to be experienced.

* * *

 _It took awhile, but this chapter is finally complete! Mostly just dialogue between the characters, wrapping up the first day of school. From this point on, I'd like the story to speed up a little. There is a stage I want the story to reach, and it'd take too long at it's current pace. Thank you for reading, and please leave a comment!_


	8. S1: The Amazon

_This story is heavily based off of the anime/manga series "Boku no Hero Academia". This work of fiction may contain spoilers towards the series, as well as references and characters. I do not own any of the references or characters from the original series that may appear in this story. This work and its original characters are fictional, any resemblance to real people living or dead is purely coincidental._

 **To be unique, is to be one of a kind, unlike anything else. What does that mean in a world where everyone is unique?**

 _The world has transformed dramatically. Unique abilities that are normally impossible for an average human to achieve, are now commonplace. Nearly 80% of all of humanity is equipped with some sort of ability or mutation. These unique traits are known as "quirks". When individuals are given power, they are capable of making decisions that can affect others._

 _This story is not comprised of a single hero._

* * *

Wednesday, April 19th 6:42 p.m.

As the day descended into the evening, the light pouring into U.A.'s gym had become muted and weary. Before the shadows could envelop more of the area, the indoor lighting had automatically switched on, providing proper visibility to all inhabiting the facility.

"Come on, you're almost done! Go go go!" encouraged Renka as she stood over Satou.

Satou grunted fiercely as he struggled to finish his final set of bench press. Renka watched with a steady eye and hands at the ready, properly spotting his lifting, prepared to catch the barbell at a moment's notice. Rock and Ryuji were several feet away, finishing their own final exercises for the day.

"No slacking Ryuji!" shouted Renka, her eyes fixed on Satou's barbell.

Ryuji groaned in annoyance as his entire body trembled, sweat dripping from his chin as he completed his own final set of push-ups. After the set was finished, he collapsed on the gym floor in a puddle of his own sweat.

Rock had almost endured a full ten-minute session on the facility's new climbing treadmill, being only a mere fifteen seconds away from completion. The treadmill had been set to its highest setting, bringing randomized variation in rock placement as well as the incline of the wall. The boy clung to the wall, his fingers screaming in agony as the treadmill converted to a tougher angle. Before the ten minutes were up, his hands gave out, bringing the boy crashing to the padded floor on his back.

Satou grit his teeth, squeezing the barbell as hard as he could, exhaling sharply as he shoved upward with all of his remaining strength. The weight steadily rose until his arms were fully extended. Renka swiftly took hold of the barbell, and assisted Satou in bringing the weight to its designated rack, just above his head.

On days where their schedules aligned, usually Wednesday, Satou, Ryuji and Rock would find themselves training in the campus gym. Today happened to be one of the special days that their workout time aligned with Renka's. Just before they had entered the facility, the four were in the middle of light sparring. After a couple of rounds, they'd decided to complete their workout of the day with some lifting and other exercises.

"Rock, you shouldn't have set the machine to the highest setting. What if you had gotten hurt?" asked Renka, approaching the befallen boy to examine his condition.

Satou rose from the bench, and stood on shaky legs, "Well, he _did_ hit the ground."

Rock laid on the ground, drenched with sweat and breathing raggedly. Although his eyes were glassy and his body ached, he raised his hands and grinned, "... I'm okay..."

Renka gasped, prompting Satou and Ryuji to observe the situation. To their surprise, the skin on his palms were torn in numerous areas, the exposed flesh red and wet.

"I'll go grab some bandages!" said Ryuji, turning towards the gym infirmary, but tripping over his worn-out legs.

Renka held out an open hand, gesturing them to stand by. She backtracked to the bench Satou had previously occupied to retrieve her duffel bag, containing all of the items she usually brings to the gym. After a short moment of searching through her belongings, she returned to Rock **,** who was still laying on the padded floor below the rock climbing treadmill, holding a roll of bandage in her right hand.

She found it strange. Her and Rock had an irrefutable chemistry, as it seemed the two had known each other for years. That being said, the boy continued to surprise her with every moment they shared, this time in particular being his reckless devotion to training. Until just recently, her life had been completely different. She couldn't possibly imagine herself casually conversing or exercising with friends, since she had previously been a lone wolf.

Satou dug through Renka's duffel bag, fishing out a temperature-sealed water bottle. After popping off the cap, he enjoyed a refreshing dose of ice-cold water.

Rock steadily rose into a relaxed sitting position, making sure to avoid touching anything with his hands.

"You ought to wash your hands before you get wrapped up, who knows how many germs are stuck on that machine," said Ryuji, sitting calmly on an unoccupied bench, catching his breath after a strenuous workout.

The boy nodded, turning his attention to Renka, "I'll be right back, Renka. I'm gonna wash my hands real quick!"

She took a seat next to Ryuji, watching as Satou escorted Rock to the restrooms. Ryuji couldn't help but notice her tracing her fingers over her arms, now completely clear of bandaging.

"Your bandages are gone. Have your wounds healed?"

She froze, "For the most part... Although, there are still scars."

Ryuji scanned her arms as well as he could without seeming too interested, but failed to spot any visible scars. Not looking to pry into a sensitive subject, he lowered his eyelids and continued to recover his strength.

Renka and Ryuji's phones buzzed, notifying the two of a new message in their group chat. The group chat comprised of Rock, Riku, Kazuto, Kotonoha, Satou, Hide, Ryuji, Renka, Endo, Junko, and Anzu. Originally, the group comprised of all of Class 1-B, but the weirdness and random topics deterred a large chunk of the students, leaving only those who caused the chaos, and those who could tolerate it.

* * *

 _ **satou has changed the group name to "workout boiz + renka"**_

rikuraku: dumb

endope: are umad cuz they didnt invite you to lift (｡+･`ω･´)

kazu: LOL

rikuraku: stfu

rikuraku: bitch

endope: LMAO

 _ **kotochi has changed the group name to "losers + renka"**_

satou: bby why

kotochi: couldn't resist

kazu: her true form

kazu: she only acts nice

Hidekun: Hello everyone!

rikuraku: whats good

endope: hey hide-kun ʕ •̀ o •́ ʔ

Hidekun: I'm just finishing tonight's homework!

ryuk: satou get out of the bathroom with rock already LOL

kazu: :O

endope: is satou finally coming out

 _ **satou sent photo attachment "IMG_1930"**_

satou: fuck u endo

kazu: why is rock crying

rikuraku: tf happened to his hands

ryuk: aushduha

kotochi: omg hug him youji, hes crying

satou: he was rock climbin and went too far i gues

satou: hes cleanin his hands before renka wraps his hands, he says the soap rlly stings

rikuraku: why are u in the bathroom with him

kazu: ^

endope: ^

kotochi: ^

ryuk: ^

satou: im here to escort him, hes literally about to collapse from exhaustion u dicks

rikuraku: yeah ur his escort alright

endope: LOL ＼（＠￣∇￣＠）／

HiroseAnzu: How do I turn off notifications?

ryuk: she speaks

endope: anzu! dont turn off notifs ╭( ･ㅂ･)و ̑̑

HiroseAnzu: I want to read my book. My phone continues to vibrate, and it's very distracting.

junk-o: who changed my name to this

 ** _junk-o has changed their name to junko_**

kazu: it was funny cmon

HiroseAnzu: Please, somebody help me.

rikuraku: stop reading ur book and join the fun nerd

junko: so what are you all doin

HiroseAnzu: I'm just going to shut off my phone. Good night everyone.

endope: just chillin like a villain ✧( ु•⌄• )

ryuk: ironic

junko: change of topic

junko: any1 wanna go shopping with me and anzu tomorrow

Hidekun: I'll let you know later if I can tag along!

rikuraku: ¯\\(◉‿◉)/¯

kazu: unfortunately i am busy

endope: same

junko: anyone else

kotochi: ill go!

satou: ill go too

rikuraku: funny how he agrees after kotonoha does

junko: kk ill let you know when we're leaving later

satou: afk

* * *

Satou and Rock returned from the restroom, approaching their friends seated on a bench. The girl slipped her phone back into her shorts pocket, and retrieved the roll of bandage from her duffel bag once again. Rock lowered on shaky legs, crouched a short distance away from Renka, extending his worn hands.

She smirked, taking hold of the boy's hands, "Have you seen the group chat lately?"

Rock shook his head, "Nope... The usual antics?"

His hands twitched involuntarily, subtle hints of pain bubbling up as Renka began wrapping his hands.

"Yeah, just the usual," she replied dismissively, taking care in treating the boy's wounds delicately.

"Mhm," Ryuji hummed, flicking his thumb on his phone's screen, scrolling past the group chat's messages. "Check it out, Rock."

Rock turned his head to inspect the screen of Ryuji's phone, revealing a photo of him crying in the restroom as he washed his hands. He quickly grimaced, despising the fact that he was far too exhausted to pursue immediate vengeance on Satou.

Satou made sure to stand behind Ryuji in case Rock managed to reach for him in anger.

With a final tightening tug, the first-aid was complete. Renka patted his shoulders and rose, "Alright. You're all set. I can wrap them again after you shower if you'd like."

The boy flexed his fingers, clenching into a fist and opening his hands repeatedly to get a feel for his wrappings.

"Thanks Renka. Are we all done? Ready to head back?" said Rock, his exaltation palpable.

Satou clicked his tongue, furrowing his eyebrows as the irritation of the group chat reached its boiling point. He bent down and grabbed his backpack, "Yeah, let's go. I'm pretty hungry..."

"Oh man, we should see if we can get Kazuto to make us some food," chirped Ryuji, "He's a hell of a chef..."

The four packed their belongings and headed to the gym's exit. Although the facility was frequented by students and faculty, it was always kept in pristine condition. The linoleum floors sparkled, seemingly always stained with the aroma of lemon-scented cleaning product. Upon exiting the building, they were greeted by the amalgamation of colors, left behind by a setting sun.

"Hold on, let's wait a minute," said Satou, admiring the clear view of the evening sky.

"Sure," replied Rock, his eyes widening at the sight, fully taking in the scene.

The orange ball of fire was nowhere to be found, leaving behind a trail for the upper atmosphere to cradle. The trees in the distance blurred into silhouettes, being completely overshadowed by the merging of warm muted hues. Chalky, faded colors conflated into a churned spectacle of mauve and violet.

For a single moment, Rock had turned his head to see the reactions his friends had made of the spectacle. It was as if the sky had absorbed their exhaustion and worries, leaving them refreshed and at peace. However, one individual stood out from the others.

"Renka?" Rock asked softly, not wanting to disturb the peace.

She hummed in response, her eyes not leaving the horizon. There was a tinge of sorrow in her expression, only noticeable upon close examination.

He paused, unable to bring himself to speak.

 _Maybe... another time..._

"Nothing," he replied.

They continued on their way to the dorms, relishing the remaining time they had with the beautiful sky before it grew black.

* * *

Wednesday, April 19th 7:24 p.m.

Rock sauntered to the living room, briskly massaging his damp hair with a soft towel. The boy plopped down onto a vacant spot on one of the couches, exhaling contently as he relaxed.

 _Nothing beats a quick shower after a workout._

"Took you long enough, Rock!" chided Ryuji, lounging on a separate couch, laying horizontally with his legs stretched out.

Satou sat uncomfortably on the end of the same couch, "Can't you sit like a normal person? I've got like no space here."

Rock replied with a toothy grin, "Sorry about that, I hurried as fast as I could! I didn't even do my hair." The soft towel rested on his shoulders, fully revealing his white and black hair, hanging casually with natural volume.

"Well, I suppose we'll get started," said Renka, scooting forward on her recliner chair to speak closer to the other three. "Earlier today when you three were sparring, I noticed a few problems. Let's start with Rock."

Rock perked up upon hearing his name, paying attention to the lecture to come.

"Rock, you fight like a barbarian," she scolded, "Your form is uncouth and you telegraph most of your movements. Although you hit much harder than any of us here, it's what made it easy for Ryuji to predict your attacks and counter accordingly. Your quirk should give you an incredible advantage due to it increasing your strength, speed and agility. I was surprised by how well-trained your body is. You have a wellspring of stamina and are willing to stick to a difficult training regimen, so you should have no problem in a battle of attrition. The biggest thing holding you back, is your simple and straightforward style."

While Ryuji and Satou snickered, Rock placed his newly wrapped hands on his knees and gripped firmly.

"What... what do you suggest?" he asked, having difficulty in accepting his blatant flaws.

 _I've always had a tough time fighting people... Riku's always knocked me around, even without using his quirk._

Rock didn't _like_ to hit people very much. Inanimate objects are different stories since they don't hit back or cry out in pain.

Renka paused, placing a hand on her chin, "I would suggest you take time to seriously think about how you go about fighting. You need to use your brain more. Spar with whoever you can, and continue to change partners as frequently as possible, since practicing with the same person constantly will make you develop unnecessary habits."

Rock nodded, "I see..." He chuckled. "I uh- I couldn't even land a single hit on you during sparring. You weren't even using your quirk! You're way too fast! I mean, just look at this!" He groaned, pointing to a fresh black eye she had given him previously that day.

"Yeah, I know what you mean Rock. None of us landed any hits on her," said Ryuji, crossing his extended legs, continuing to scroll through social media on his phone.

"There's a good way to stop the movements of someone moving faster than you," she replied.

Rock tilted his head slightly to the right, unsure of what she was leading up to.

"You noticed how I kept swaying away from your punches, right? Aim for here," she patted her stomach with her right palm, "A strong body blow, will stop anyone in their tracks. With your strength, it should only take one hit for you to turn around a fight."

Satou felt a chill run down his spine, spurring him to briskly rub his arms to warm up, "Ugh... getting hit by Rock is not fun."

Ryuji nodded in agreement, a noticeable frown growing on his face.

Renka pointed a finger towards the smoky boy lazing on the couch, "Now for you, Ryuji."

Ryuji tensed up, eyes widening as he prepared for the storm of criticism.

"You're physically weak. From what you've told us, you haven't had any sort of physical training your whole life, aside from regular gym class. But Ryuji, the fact that you're here isn't a fluke," Renka points to the her forehead, "You strategize. To compensate for your lack of physical strength, thinking ahead and applying the plans you concoct on the fly is second nature to you. Ever since your loss in the flag battle exercise-"

Rock's lips quivered as he struggled to keep a straight face. Ryuji's eyebrows scrunched up at the mention of his defeat. Satou delivered a quick elbow to Rock's side, stopping his laughter in its tracks. After all, he lost alongside Ryuji.

"... You've been applying yourself in exercising with us, and doing your best to get stronger. That determination, and your mind, are your greatest strengths. I'd say you're definitely improving, and I don't really have any advice for you. So, job well done Ryuji," said Renka, delivering a satisfying nod with lowered eyelids.

Ryuji's bottom lip curled inward, his face reddening from the unexpected praise, "... Thanks."

"Satou's turn," murmured Rock, averting his eyes, clearly envious of Ryuji earning positive feedback.

Renka took a sip of a glass of water, the ice clinking against the container, "Satou is a different case. He doesn't have any flaws..."

Rock and Ryuji jolted up from their seats with a surprised expression, glaring with ill intent towards Satou. The boy in question replied with a smug and pompous expression.

"... and he doesn't have any strengths," she stated, lowering her glass upon a coaster, resting on the living room table.

Satou deflated, his elation gone in seconds. The other boys burst into laughter, taunting Satou with silly faces.

Renka rolled her eyes, attempting to move on, "You have a decent sense for fighting, and you use your head as well. You're an all-rounder, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The problem lies in the fact that you're not particularly strong in any category. You're easily overpowered and out-thought. If you are up against someone capable, they really have nothing to be afraid of."

"Ugh... Well, you really said it all," Satou grumbled, propping his elbow on the couch corner, resting his head on the back of his fist.

Renka raised her closed hand to her chin, humming flatly as she fell deeper in thought, "I actually... don't think I have any advice for you, Satou. I think it's something you have to figure out for yourself."

Rock and Ryuji glanced towards Renka, and then to Satou. They were both cool and composed.

 _Isn't that being too unfair? You can't just call out someone's flaws and not give any advice when you're critiquing everyone..._

"I see," Satou said calmly, "I've actually... had those thoughts for awhile, and hearing you say them aloud really makes it feel real. Don't worry, I think I have an idea on where to go with those words."

The room immediately felt lighter, with Satou wiping away the intensity.

"So, what are Renka's flaws?" asked Ryuji, sinking further into the cushioning of the couch.

"Well-"

"Nope! You can't critique yourself," said Rock, chuckling profusely.

She huffed, leaning back into her recliner chair.

The three boys combined their minds to come up with suitable comments for her. With a collective nod, they were ready to begin, agreeing to move in clockwise order.

Rock raised a finger and pointed to his black eye, "You're too rough when you spar."

"Wait... does that even count?" she questioned, crossing her arms at the comment.

Ryuji affirmed her question with a wide grin, "Yes."

Satou interjected, "Wait, Rock is even _more_ rough than Renka. You hit me super hard today!"

Rock raised a hand and cupped his cheek, "Wha- But I was going easy on you guys the entire time..."

Satou and Ryuji grimaced, disgusted by his brutish strength. Renka covered her mouth with her left hand, suppressing a giggle.

"My turn," said Ryuji, "You never wash your dishes after you use them! You just soak them in water and leave them in the sink."

Rock and Satou exchanged sounds of affirmation, looking to Renka with expressions of disgust. It was known throughout the dorm that an unknown individual was leaving unwashed dishes in the sink on a regular basis. Never did they expect that individual to be the girl before them. The audible crunch of chewing on ice was the only reply she could provide, being thoroughly embarrassed.

"This isn't even about fighting anymore," she curtly replied, her grip tightening on her glass.

Before Satou could open his mouth to present the final criticism, Renka thrust her glass forward, effectively dousing the boy with ice-cold water. Several cubes of ice bounced off of his skull, continuing their tumbling on the living room carpet. Satou screeched like a pterodactyl, raising his arms in defense after the beverage splashed onto his upper-torso and everything above. Rock and Ryuji's eyes widen at the event transpiring, unable to control their raucous laughter. Ryuji extended his hand, offering a worn-handkerchief to help his friend dry off.

"You don't even know what I was going to say," Satou whined, drying off with little progress.

"I'm sure it was just going to be a joke or something," she answered, her expression showing her lack of patience.

"I guess you'll never find out."

Curiosity evident in her subtle raise of her eyebrows, she turned towards Satou, ready to listen.

He cleared his throat, water still dripping from the ends of his fringe, "I wanted to say I'm glad you're hanging out with us, and training and whatever."

The three others stare in surprise, caught off guard by Satou speaking out of character.

Scratching his cheek with his right pointer finger, he continues his impromptu speech, "You weren't really enthusiastic about joining the losers club, but here you are now helping us get better. I never really thought of you as a loser anyways. You have this... different kind of aura. You kinda remind me of an amazon."

The final remark stimulated a reaction among his peers, beginning as snorts and bursts of air shooting out from puffed cheeks, leading to rowdy hysterics.

Feeling oddly satisfied with speaking his mind, Satou sat with his chest puffed, continuing to wipe down what he could manage with the old handkerchief.

"These really... aren't criticisms about fighting," she replied, looking downwards to hide her grin.

Her smile had grown exponentially into one of genuine emotion. It was contagious. The others soon found themselves following her example. After this day, the losers would regularly meet at U.A.'s gym at 5:00 p.m. every Wednesday. They had also gained a new permanent member, an amazon to lead them to new heights.

* * *

 _Hey dudes! Thanks for reading. This is just a little chapter thrown inbetween longer ones, some character interaction and whatnot. There will be another one after this, which will lead to the sports festival / end of term exam hopefully. Please leave a comment, let me know what you think of the story so far. I believe I have a solid idea on where to take this._


	9. Day After Day

_This story is heavily based off of the anime/manga series "Boku no Hero Academia". This work of fiction may contain spoilers towards the series, as well as references and characters. I do not own any of the references or characters from the original series that may appear in this story. This work and its original characters are fictional, any resemblance to real people living or dead is purely coincidental._

 **To be unique, is to be one of a kind, unlike anything else. What does that mean in a world where everyone is unique?**

 _The world has transformed dramatically. Unique abilities that are normally impossible for an average human to achieve, are now commonplace. Nearly 80% of all of humanity is equipped with some sort of ability or mutation. These unique traits are known as "quirks". When individuals are given power, they are capable of making decisions that can affect others._

 _A hero breaks through the norm, and shatters routines._

* * *

Thursday, April 20th 7:43 a.m.

It had been ten days since beginning his attendance at U.A. High, and Akutagawa Riku had slowly but surely become accustomed to the routine. His days comprised of spending time in class, exercise, enjoying the company of friends and acquaintances, and a small remainder of his time devoted to rest and relaxation. Although there were moments of deviation and excitement, the monotony of it all bored him.

Class would soon begin in under an hour, spurring him to climb out of bed and prepare for the day. An audible rumble bubbled from within his stomach, his body's indication that it requires sustenance. The cafeteria sounded good, but only after he had gotten ready. He had decided to settle for washing his face and brushing his teeth, seeing as how he had showered the night before. Lifting the covers off his body, he slid off the bed and lowered his feet to the carpet; which was cold to the touch compared to the comforting warmth of his bed. With a lackadaisical expression etched on his face, he sauntered towards the restroom, combing his semi-messy hair with his fingers.

With a splash of cold water to the face, he was nearly out of his stupor. The bristles of his new toothbrush still stung, although that would eventually fade away with more use. After a thorough brush, he spat out the remaining mixture of saliva, water and toothpaste into the sink.

All in all, a mediocre morning.

A quiet buzz emanated from his right pants pocket. Riku reached in and retrieved his phone, noticing he had received a message from his classmate, Morino Hide.

 _"Good morning Riku! Do you remember when Junko invited everyone to go shopping yesterday? I think I'm going to refuse her offer. I'd be too nervous shopping around with girls. However, I do have some free time today. Do you want to go hang out instead? I know of a great cafe nearby that we can go to after class. We could do our homework there or just talk or something."_

The message looked too proper. With a huff, he brought both hands to his phone and typed a reply.

 _"yea ill let you know"_

Riku considered the possibility that his response may have seemed lazy, but he quickly dismissed the thought. At the moment, he felt he couldn't commit to an answer. He donned his uniform, omitting the unspoken rule of sporting a tie, and accepted his decision of going to class without wearing one; not that he has ever worn one to class. Upon exiting the restroom, he reached for his backpack, settling for carrying it with a single strap, and made his way to the 1-B classroom.

* * *

Thursday, April 20th 3:00 p.m.

A short groan escaped Riku's mouth, as he rested his chin on his arms, sprawled out on his desk. Class had finally ended, after what seemed like an eternity. Other students like Rock had furiously jotted down notes during lectures, struggling to keep up with the material. It was comical to say the least, since Riku found the curriculum to be rather rudimentary. He could swear he saw steam flowing out of the ears of a few of his classmates.

Snipe had promised him that the year was just beginning, and the workload would soon be escalating in difficulty.

He couldn't help but notice Hide constantly glancing at him all throughout the day, as if expecting an answer to his offer during class hours. It was like a puppy begging his owner for food. A pink-haired puppy in this case.

Hide stood up from his desk and gingerly approached Riku, twiddling his thumbs while he processed his thoughts in his head.

"Hey, Riku? Have you decided whether you want to hang out today or not?"

Riku continued to sit, having to look upwards to meet the pink-haired boy's eyes.

 _He really is way too tall to be acting so sheepish all the goddamn time. Just lookin' at him kinda pisses me off..._

"Ah... well," Riku trailed off, his indecision dissipating as Hide's demeanor pried at his hardy conscience, "Yeah, we can hang out."

The tall boy cheered, his eyes lighting up with excitement and relief. The rest of the class look towards Riku; who is currently wishing for an anvil to fall upon Hide's head. Aside from the pink-haired menace severely cramping his style, it had been a rather uneventful day, as he had expected.

Perhaps something interesting awaited him later this day. Either way, he wasn't going to find out by following the same routine. After agreeing to spending some time with Hide, they'd taken the time to get a change of clothes and meet on the first floor of the 1-B dorm.

Hide, perhaps a bit too considerate, made sure to remind Riku to double check that he had everything he could need. An aggressive click of the tongue from Riku was all that was needed to deter Hide's good intentions.

Endo waved from the living room couch to properly send the two on their way before going back to her studies.

As soon as Hide and Riku were out the door, Endo put on a tan trench coat and a black trilby. To add on to her inconspicuous disguise, she wore thick sunglasses and a fake bushy mustache. She now had her identity completely hidden, ready to execute her plan. With swift movement, she began tailing the two boys.

* * *

Thursday, April 20th 3:42 p.m.

After catching the earliest train they could, Hide and Riku were deep in the heart of Musutafu. The ride was more quiet than Riku had expected. He'd assumed that Hide was thinking of topics to discuss when they arrive at their destination. Unbeknownst to the two boys, Endo was keeping a close eye on their activities. A short ten minute walk from the station brought them to their desired location, _The Grind_.

Hide approached the entrance of the cafe and held the door open, facing Riku with a warm smile. Riku dug his hands into his pockets, and continued inside.

"Hello, welcome to _The Gri_ -" uttered the hostess, immediately recognizing Riku from his last visit.

Hide tilted his head questioningly, unsure of what to say of her reaction.

Riku tucked his lips inward, pressing his mouth into a fine line, "...Hey... Been awhile..."

The hostess held a stack of menus to her chest, "I don't know if you're allowed to be here after what happened last time..."

"The damage was covered, wasn't it?"

Her head lowered slightly, a small groan escaping in the form of words, "That's not the point..."

Hide was completely lost, but Riku was too busy in his conversation with the hostess to answer his unspoken question. After a solid moment of contemplation, the hostess exhaled a weary breath, and gestured for the two boys to follow as she lead them to a vacant booth. The cafe was full of other people, yet the design of the interior allowed many individuals to enjoy themselves privately, given the generous amount of space they had access to.

She extended an open hand tilted at a slight angle, "Here are your seats, I trust you will be having a _quiet_ , well-behaved experience this time around." After handing the two boys each their own menu, she forced a smile after informing them that she will return shortly to take their orders before walking away.

"What happened last time you were here?" Hide asked incredulously, eyes shifting from his menu to Riku.

"Almost got into a fight with Satou," Riku stated plainly, pursing his lips as his eyes scanned the cafe menu for anything appealing.

"Almost? Where did the _damage_ come from?"

"Well, just a couple of plates and silverware fell and broke from the scuffle. Nothin' big," Riku murmured, his interest waning.

Hide's eyes widened to a moderate degree, his brain forming suspicions about his friend's possible violent tendencies.

The two boys eased into the comforting atmosphere of the cafe. The other customers agreed to an unspoken consensus of maintaining a hushed volume, allowing the cafe's playlist of soft piano to be heard clearly. In no time at all, the hostess had returned to their table and taken their orders, ensuring their food and beverages would be there shortly. It was never overwhelmingly busy at _The Grind_ , making it easy for the hostess to wait tables and greet customers at the entrance. Hide and Riku continued their quiet conversation while enjoying their light sandwiches and warm drinks. Although it wasn't how Riku expected his day to go, the change in routine was not enough to spike his enthusiasm.

After a short period of spying on Hide and Riku through the windows of the cafe, Endo had decided to bring her investigation even closer. The hostess properly greeted her and escorted her to a vacant table suitable for one. Endo had successfully hidden her identity, but her gauche appearance only aroused the suspicion of most of the individuals inside of the building, including her targets of perusal. The two boys had decided to try their best to ignore the stranger, donning a disguise akin to one you would see in films, ironically conspicuous.

Riku had unintentionally garnered Endo's interest with his instant infatuation, and swift recovery from said infatuation. They were similar in regard to their distaste of everyday monotony, and tendency to become easily bored. She had unconsciously started to study him, from distances near and far.

From spending time with each other in their shared friend circle, to just glancing in his general direction during class. Eventually, she had discovered and surprised herself with her pursuit of knowledge.

Endo was not one to go into things half-hearted, leaving her with one thing to do. In order to gather more information on this interesting individual, she brought it upon herself to question his closest friends. Endo had received most of her details from Rock, just the basics of who Riku is as a person. Her curiosity was piqued to the peak, as she had discovered that Riku had no known weaknesses. The very next day, she'd decided to gear up and spy on him to see if she could notice an Achilles' heel. After all, what's more interesting to find out about a perfect person than their flaws?

Propping up a comically large newspaper to hide her face, Endo muttered " _Does this count as stalking...?_ "

Hide retrieved an algebra textbook from his backpack, and began to work on some math homework while maintaining a conversation with Riku about the upcoming sports festival.

"So yeah, I'm pretty sure I'll finish in first this yea-" says Riku, stopping to take note of the pink-haired boy struggling to complete an assigned problem. He reaches over to Hide's notebook and effortlessly finishes the problem with a thin-tipped pen.

"Oh! Thanks Riku," Hide chirped, taking a sip of his hot chocolate. "Could you maybe show me how you did that?"

Suddenly, their phones vibrated in unison as they received a message simultaneously, along with a familiar notification sound blaring just a few tables away from them.

The notification sound was of Kotonoha slipping on a slick surface; a scream that went _eek_ followed by a loud _thud_.

"Ah, we both got a message. I guess it's from the group chat, eh?" chuckled Hide, lowering his cup on to a small plate.

Before he could reach for his phone, Riku stopped him with a firm grip onto his forearm.

"Wait," Riku paused. "Did you hear that?"

"Er... the vibrations?"

"No, the notification sound from back there." Riku's voice grew quiet, in an attempt to hide their conversation.

"Oh, yeah I did. It sounded kind of... _familiar_ , right?"

"It's the same notification sound that Endo uses. She's the only one in the world with that notification sound."

" _Right_ , from that time that Kotonoha slipped on the juice Kazuto spilled..."

The two glance over to their right, watching the disguised individual squirm, fumbling to mute their mobile device, although it was already far too late. Hide and Riku scooted out of their chairs and made their way over to Endo's table, towering over her with their height. Nervously, she raised her newspaper to shield her face, another safety precaution to add on to her sunglasses and fake mustache.

Endo spoke in a forcefully deepened voice, "Y-yes? How can I help you gentlemen?"

Riku glanced towards Hide with an incredulous expression, and lifted the newspaper from the _"stranger's"_ hands with his left hand, before swatting the individual's black trilby with his right, revealing a familiar view; platinum blonde hair with a light blue tint. All that remained was a startled Endo, sporting a tan trench coat, coupled with thick sunglasses and a fake mustache.

"Why are you here, Endo?" Riku questioned flatly, tossing the newspaper aside before crossing his arms.

She removed the sunglasses before speaking, "What, I can't relax at a cafe?" After taking the mustache off as well, the fake hair brushed against her nostrils, bringing her to sneeze.

Raising his arms to defend himself from the incoming germs, Riku continued in a tone that felt more tired than annoyed, "No, it's just that you're dressed like you're stalking someone or some shit."

Hide's lips spread into a thin line, arching slightly downwards. He raised his phone to where he could see the screen and decided to check the notification to distract himself from Endo's awkward reveal.

"Maybe this is just how I dress," she insisted insincerely.

Clearly indifferent in his reaction, Riku eyed her up and down, admittedly having difficulty in finding the reason she was dressed incognito.

"H-Hey guys?! Did you check your phones?" Hide jabbered, holding his phone to a position that would make examining the screen easy for Endo and Riku.

* * *

junko: HLP

junko: HELPP

junko: CHASSING THIEF

junko: TOOK ANZU'S PURSE

* * *

Hide was the only person to have read the message, indicated by the read receipts in the bottom right corner below the most recent message sent by Junko. The two other's eyes widened, recalling that Junko and Anzu had gone shopping today. Somehow, a thief must have made off with Anzu's purse.

Endo squinted as she spotted a suspicious event transpiring just ahead of her through the cafe's large window. A suspicious individual and familiar face engaged in a fierce chase.

"Waaaait!"

Everyone in the cafe within earshot turned to the window to identify the source of the muffled yet loud call. Junko's pursuit slowed to a crawl, reaching forward weakly with her right arm as Anzu pursued the thief, who was clutching her purse tightly. The red-haired girl collapsed to the sidewalk's concrete floor, and brushed the beads of sweat off of her freckled face.

"Is that Junko?" Endo intones, tilting her head slightly to the right with a puzzled look on her face.

Hide scoops all of his belongings into his bag, while Riku slings his pack over his shoulder.

Hide, Riku and Endo dash out of the cafe, and rush to Junko's side. The hostess of _"The Grind"_ catch the three of them leaving out of the corner of her eye, her scan mostly fixated on Riku running out of the building without a care in the world. She bares her fangs and snaps the metal tray she was holding in half, much to the surprise and fear of nearly every person in the cafe. He dared to leave without paying? At that moment, she vowed to never forgive the boy who wronged her cafe twice.

Hide and Endo crouched, inspecting the fallen girl's condition. Her breathing was labored, and her eyes were hazy. She was surrounded by several bags of clothes and accessories, and was most likely exhausted from having to lug around all of their purchases.

"Junko? Junko! It's us, are you alright?" Hide reached down and cradled her head with his left hand.

Panting, she managed to catch her breath to speak, " _Hee_... Hide...? Anzu's purse... you gotta... get it..."

Riku's eyes lit up, completely locked on to the thief and Anzu who was in hot pursuit. Without a word to any of them, he threw off his backpack, kicked off of the concrete, and initiated his own chase.

The hostess burst through the doors of the cafe, scaring the three students left behind. "Where do you think you guys are going?!"

Hide shook as her killing intent resonated through his bones.

Endo raised a heavy fog with her quirk, hiding them from the hostess.

"Run!" she cried, pushing Hide to his feet, and grabbing Junko's shopping bags and the boys' backpacks.

Hide carried Junko in his arms, scrambling to stand, following Endo as she led them out of the thick mist.

The hostess violently stomped the ground, barking and cursing as she watched the source of her anger sprint away. After expelling most of her rage, she calmly opened the door to the cafe and continued her shift.

Hide and Endo deflated, relieved to see the hostess from hell return to her lair. They maintained their pace, running towards the direction Riku and Anzu had gone.

* * *

"Stop! That is _my_ purse!" shouted Anzu, breathing heavily, staying directly on the thief's trail.

Weaving through individuals on the sidewalk, the thief replies, " _God_ , just fuck off already! You've been chasin' me for like five blocks, bitch!"

Despite the thief's efforts to shake off his pursuer, she remained strong, making use of stamina gained through months of intensive training.

Anzu gaped in surprise as Riku passed her, running at a high speed. Within seconds after her astonishment, the boy had landed a devastating tackle upon the thief, bringing him down like a falling tree. The wrongdoer cried out in pain, followed by more slurred cursing. Anzu slid to a quick stop, standing before a collapsed thief and classmate.

"You're... what are you... _doing here_?" she pondered, wheezing at a steady pace.

As both of the individuals rose from the floor, Riku assumed a fighting stance, preparing for a battle.

"I'm here to get your purse back, obviously! You know, hero shit," he announced, stretching out his fingers before retracting them to loose fists.

The thief chuckled, before widening his grin. After checking the watch on his wrist, he began to talk to himself in a low, hushed and manic voice. " _I need it. I need it. I need it..._ "

Riku and Anzu froze, keeping a safe distance away from the crazed man.

His smile revealed his blackened gums and numerous gaps in his rows of teeth.

Riku snorted, and tossed Anzu his phone. "Anzu! Take a picture of this guy's fucked up teeth!"

"W-what?! _Why?_ " she questioned.

"It reminds me of Rock! I gotta show it to him later!" He cackled, lowering his left fist to clutch his aching side.

Regrettably, she holds up his phone and takes a photo with the camera after zooming in.

" _Last chance... my last chance..._ "

The man grew pale, the shadow of fear slowly creeping up and engulfing his expression.

" _I'll bring it back for them... I can do it..._ "

"What is he saying?" questioned Riku, narrowing his eyes as he attempted to read the man's lips.

The man was shrouded by a metallic layer of skin, looking almost as if he had become silver itself. His hood slipped off from the speed of his dash, revealing a small horn poking through his forehead. As he charged at Riku, he threw a desperate fist aimed towards the boy's right temple.

Riku swayed to the left, effectively ducking away from the strike. Before he could retaliate with a blow of his own, he stood in place as he witnessed his classmate take action.

A bright beam emitted from Anzu's mouth and nostrils, wrapping the thief in its periwinkle light.

"You know we're not supposed to use our quirks in public, right?" Riku commented, rubbing the back of his neck with his right hand.

Due to her quirk, the assailant was immobilized completely. Unable to even open his mouth, his screams were muffled behind his tightly wound jaw.

Riku sighed, before reaching for the girl's purse, locked in the man's iron grip. With a bit of effort, he retrieved her belongings through prying it out of the thief's locked fingers.

Anzu deactivated her ability, the light dissipating simultaneously. She fell to her knees, catching her fall with her hands on the concrete, gasping for air.

The thief did the same, disoriented, and ashamed. His metallic quirk faded away, revealing his naked skin.

Riku crouched next to his classmate, patting her back with his right hand. He passed the retrieved purse to her.

"Are you good? You're wheezing pretty hard."

She glanced to meet his eyes, "Yes, thank you... I can't breathe when... I use my quirk..."

"Plus, you _were_ running after this guy for awhile."

Anzu nodded, leaning back to sit in an upright position as she caught her breath.

" _.. gnna killyou..._ "

Riku turned to face the thief, who was whispering to himself once again, his volume slowly increasing.

" _I'll get it back. I need that. They won't kill me. I'm gonna kill you..._ **_I'm gonna fuckin' murder you all...!_** "

The gathered civilians felt a cold sweat as the thief declared his ill intent.

His enemy grimaced, his anger evident through his head's throbbing veins. Reaching in his coat pocket, he retrieved a small tube.

" _A marker...?_ " muttered Anzu.

The tube was swiftly jammed into the thief's left arm, creating an opening with a sharp hidden needle. As he pressed down upon the top of the marker-like object with his thumb, a substance was released into his body. The thief's tongue hung out of his putrid mouth, displaying a disturbing sight as the tongue shifted from a pink hue to a sickly shade of black.

The thief brought his arms inward, as if squeezing an invisible pillow to their chest. Slowly, their physique began to increase in size.

Riku took a step back, " _Trigger...?_ " he whispered, continuing to distance himself.

Suddenly, the thief screamed like a banshee, prompting others to quickly cover their ears with their hands in a poor attempt to mute the noise.

 _Krrench!_

The sickening sound of bones crunching turned the stomachs of everyone witnessing the man morph into a grotesque figure. His metamorphosis progressed at a steady pace initially, and then erupted in a swift burst of change all at once.

His skin was bolstered by a metallic layer, the silver surface giving off a bright sheen. The layer protecting the man doubled, and continued to stack until the skin was thickly armored. The thief's bones groaned and creaked as they expanded violently, nearly piercing out of his hardened epidermis. After a short spell of gut-wrenching shifts of physical form, the man stood nearly three feet taller, reaching roughly eight and a half feet. His muscle and body growth tore through the clothes on his upper body, revealing an extreme surge in strength, evident in his barrel-chest and dense shoulders.

 _Shriik!_

The small horn resting just above his eyebrows grew in width and length, pure black and menacing in its appearance.

Throughout the entire change, the man had not stopped screaming. Once he had ceased, everyone knew he had finished.

* * *

 **[Quirk: Silver Skin + Expansion + Sharp Horn]**

 _Essentially, the skin becomes wrapped with an entire layer of silver! The layer is thin, and silver is known to be a soft metal, making this armor rather flimsy._

 _Expansion slightly increases the size of your body and everything within, a simple ability._

 _A small, retractable horn sprouts from your forehead, careful, it's pointy!_

Even with all of these weak quirks combined together, it wouldn't make much of a threat. However, after the man took the drug, all of these quirks were amplified by several times.

* * *

Slowly, the hulking amalgamation of quirks released his flexed arms from his chest, and stood straight, looking down upon Riku and Anzu. He rotated his head, relishing in the terrified expressions of the civilians witnessing the event. He took a step forward, producing an audible thud.

Riku took a step back, continuing his wide-eyed gaze.

Anzu got to her feet, "I think we should lea-"

Without warning, the brawny man swung his right foot to the girl in an attempt to kick her like a football.

Riku dove without thinking, and scooped Anzu from where she stood, successfully avoiding the kick. Shielding her with his body, he absorbed the impact of the cold concrete sidewalk as they landed.

Avoiding a furious monster of a man who towered above everyone surrounding him was intimidating, maybe even terrifying, but Riku wasn't about to let anyone know that. In fact, he was almost excited at the challenge.

He pushed a flustered Anzu off of him, and dashed towards the thief. Aiming his left hand towards the midsection of the man, it began to glow a faint black light.

His hand shot a wide cone of black flame, producing a deafening crack that cut through the air.

 _This is more like it._

The man groaned as the dark fire engulfed his body. His voice sounded distorted and deep, further accentuating his monstrous appearance. As the blast dissipated, his uproarious bellow pierced the ears of everyone within earshot. He tilted his head downward to aim the black horn at Riku.

The horn extended instantly, moving at blistering speed like a missile.

Riku narrowly dodged the horn, taking a well-timed backstep. His face grew pale as the horn pierced through the concrete sidewalk, separating the solid stone in jagged fragments.

The man retracted his horn, and began to sprint towards his opponent. His frighteningly loud steps sounded like thunder, spurring the spectators to cry out in fear.

Raising his right arm, the man wound up, preparing to strike down the boy. With a powerful thrust, his fist dug into the concrete as Riku managed to escape by the skin of his teeth.

With every missed attack, the thief's rage continued to grow. His condition grew more unstable, with thick veins pulsating on the surface of his metal skin.

 _Okay, maybe this is getting dangerous. Better hit him with something harder._

Riku's fingers twitched as he flexed, gathering strength for his next attack. He dashed, attempting to get behind his giant of an opponent.

The thief accelerated, effortlessly keeping up with Riku's movements as he pivoted on his left foot.

 _Shit, is he getting faster?!_

The boy froze, exposing his grit teeth as the man met his eyes.

 _Just gotta go for it!_

He aimed his open left palm towards the man once again, preparing to unleash another jet of black fire.

The thief swung his hulking left arm in an attempt to chop down the boy. Riku responded by sprawling to the ground, in a prone position.

"Fffuck!" he breathed, his confident demeanor shattered.

 _Felt that on my hair that time!_

"Riku, run!" Anzu cried, standing to her feet, clutching her purse.

The thief extended his horn once again, with the intent to impale the boy and finish him off.

Riku raised his stomach off of the ground using all of his fingers and toes, and pushed off with all of his might to hop away in the lowered position, landing just out of harm's way.

The ebony horn sunk deeply into the concrete once again.

Panic and adrenaline dictating the course of his actions, Riku rolled on to his back and wound up his right foot, bringing his knee to his chest. With all the force he could muster, he drove his foot into the man's black horn.

 ** _Snap!_**

With a nauseatingly audible crunch, the horn snapped at the point of impact, effectively separating the small portion buried in the sidewalk with the rest of the horn extended from the thief's forehead.

The man's horn swiftly retracted, blood streaming from the center of his wound. As the warm fluid trickled down his thick-veined, silver face, his scream of agony paralyzed everyone present. All except one person.

Akutagawa Riku stood tall, a wide grin growing on his face as the exhilaration of the battle made his heart race.

 _This is what I need. Fighting villains. I feel alive._

As the fight raged on, the man only became more and more furious. The drug coursing through his veins continued to make his power grow. With each blow that Riku landed, the thief's muscles expanded, his skin thickened, and his rage elevated. All of his wicked intention was now focused towards his opponent. He'd completely forgotten his objective.

Riku kicked off the ground, engaging in a full sprint towards his opponent, "Let's fucking go- _augh_!"

Suddenly, he was pulled backwards by the neck of his shirt, causing his feet to slide forward, landing him straight on his bottom. Confused, he swiftly turned his head to see the cause of his slip.

Standing before him was an upset Endo, and a frightened Hide holding an equally frightened Junko in his arms.

"What the hell are you doing?!" she barked, cutting into the battle. "There's so much wrong with this picture. Giant evil-looking villain, _you_ fighting it for some reason, using your quirk in _public_ of all things..."

Endo adjusted her grip on the shopping bags and backpacks, "This is too dangerous. Let's get out of here!"

Riku stared, mouth agape, completely dumbfounded. Snapping back to reality, he quickly grabbed Endo by the shoulders and began to push her away, despite her efforts in staying put.

" _Wh_ -Riku! Get off me!" Endo spouted, flailing her arms, trying to pry the boy's grip off of her shoulders, dropping the items she held on to the ground.

"This is no time for a lecture, you gotta go, **_now_**." Riku trailed off, keeping his eyes on the thief, increasing the pace on evacuating Endo as the man prepared to attack.

The thief crouched low, tension gathering in his legs, before diving forward in a burst, reaching out to grasp Riku.

Endo's eyes widened, her surprise expressed in a fearful yelp.

As the situation spiked to extreme levels of danger, Riku's perception increased to a height that he had never experienced before.

His brain processed a response fast enough to allow him to react to the villain, reaching closer and closer, nearing inch by inch.

It was as if everything was moving in slow motion.

He could see the veins on the man's head, pulsating in an almost explosive cadence. His uneven, grotesque teeth jutting out of blackened gums. The menacing twitching of his spread fingers, resonating with glee, knowing that they would soon be clutching Riku in their powerful grip.

Crystal clear, high definition.

Riku spun, simultaneously forcefully pushing Endo backwards with his right hand, and aiming towards his enemy with his left hand. Being aware of his opponent's overall durability and increasing strength, the black glow in his hand grew brighter than it had ever before.

He fired.

An enormous jet of ebony flame erupted out of the boy's left palm. The bang was enough to make everyone's eardrums ring, like a powerful bomb detonating.

The force of the blast sent the hulk of a man tumbling backwards wildly, unearthing shards of concrete on his destructive path, finally colliding with a large parked truck.

The recoil from the attack sent Riku's hand flying backward, jerking him violently to the ground. The angle of his arm and the impact of the fall caused his left shoulder to dislocate. He laid on the ground, writhing in pain, clutching his left arm's wrist as the palm expelled smoke from charred skin and flesh. The searing sensation in his palm pierced into his tissue like a thousand needles. At the very least, his nerves weren't dead.

The thief remained sprawled against a large indentation in the truck he collided with, stunned and staggered.

The gathered civilians had mixed opinions conflating all at once into a loud din that echoed throughout the city.

Riku's classmates stared in awe after witnessing the boy's jaw-dropping feat, saving the life of himself and Endo.

" _Holy... crap..._ " whispered Junko, unable to pry her gaze away from the scene of destruction, clinging on to Hide's button-up shirt as she laid in his arms.

"You took the words right out of my mouth..." breathed Hide, suddenly becoming flustered at having to carry his exhausted classmate.

Anzu stared at Junko and Hide, before clearing her throat to get their attention. "Hide, I'm extremely exhausted. Do you mind if I hitch a ride as well?"

" _Whuh_... what?" he replied.

Anzu quickly retrieved all of her belongings and laid them onto Junko's lap, essentially making Hide carry them, before climbing on to his back and clinging tightly like a koala.

" _Whoa geez..._!" bleated Hide, beginning to struggle from all of the added weight. All of the female contact added to his tribulations.

Endo quickly knelt to Riku's side, examining the boy's injured condition. " _Jesus_ , Riku...! I almost had a heart attack... You... you saved us... You saved _me_."

"That was the idea..." he joked weakly, raising his head several centimeters to get a view of his fallen opponent.

"Are you well? Can you walk?"

Riku grunted in affirmation, pushing off the ground slowly with his right hand, accepting the assistance of Endo to raise him to his feet.

The severe burns on his left palm continued to bite away at him, bringing his face to twist in pain.

"Wha..? Let me see," Endo insisted, taking hold of his wrist to inspect the wound. Her eyes narrowed as the severity of the injury came to her attention.

"Guess I put too much into it," Riku admitted, gritting his teeth as the deep aching from his shoulder echoed throughout his body.

Endo slipped her hand into his, interlocking fingers with a gentle but sturdy grip.

The pain was lessened substantially, thanks to the cold alleviating touch of Endo's hand.

"Is that better? It's not much but... it should numb you a little."

Suddenly, a pang resonated within his chest.

Feelings were resurfacing.

 _Oh fuck. Not again._

"Yeah..." he replied, his eyes immediately darting to the side, to avoid her concerned gaze.

The immense growth of strength that surged within the thief had slowed. The silver armor layering on his face had melted from Riku's flames, exposing his bare, burnt skin. He reached outward with his large hand, grasping for the purse laying on Junko's lap.

" _I.D... Give me..._ " he groaned.

Anzu twitched as the thief continued to demand for her belongings. This time he specified the item he truly desired.

The man grasped on to the edges of the dented metal on the truck, and began to pry himself out.

Riku's eyes narrowed, as he attempted to summon more strength from within for the second round. Before he could steel himself, he was yanked away from his position by Endo sprinting away, their hands still locked. The pain flared to unbearable levels, urging him to scream. Thankfully, he managed to swallow his yell.

"W-What are you doing?! He's getting back up! I gotta take him do-"

" _ **No!**_ " she interjected, chopping the injured boy in his damaged shoulder, bringing him to sputter and extremely painful howl. "It's too dangerous, leave it to the pros! We're not even _allowed_ to fight villains! We've gotta get outta here before a hero or the authorities show!"

Perhaps it was all of the injuries he had sustained, or his inability to control the way his heart was banging. Regardless, he acquiesced and continued to follow her lead.

 _She makes a good argument._

Endo and Riku passed their classmates, as they dashed from the scene holding hands.

"Come on Hide, after them!" Junko demanded, gripping Hide's cheeks and shaking his head with her right hand.

Feeling like a mule, he obeyed her command and followed the others out of the area.

"Is he following us?" asked Anzu, her eyes tightly shut.

Riku looked backwards, his vision blurring from the sweat dipping into his eyes, as well as the lingering pain from his shoulder.

The man limped forward, continuing to raise his arm as if reaching for them desperately. The crowd of people around him dispersed, trying to distance themselves to a safe observable area.

Suddenly, a silhouette blurred into Riku's squinted vision. The figure shook its head in what appeared to be a disappointed movement, before clutching the thief's throat with its right hand.

Immediately, the thief's appearance had returned to his original form. No metal skin, no large body, no horn.

Riku's eyes widened as the thief began to crack and crumble, screaming in torment.

" _ **PlEasE! I alMoST dId IT! i'M noOt UsELesS!**_ "

His pleas went unanswered.

Slowly, the man disintegrated into nothing.

Nearby civilians had mixed reactions, from speechless to full-blown screeching.

Riku blinked, and rubbed his eyes at the unbelievable sight.

The silhouette had gone.

The thief was gone.

" _Holy shit..._ " muttered Riku, before screaming as Endo took a tight right turn into an alleyway shortcut.

The sounds of sirens flared in the distance as the 1-B students successfully escaped the area.

* * *

Thursday, April 20th 5:56 p.m.

The five of them busted through the doors of the 1-B dorm, speed-walking towards the stairs.

Ryuji and Kazuto shared a couch in the living room, playing on an SNES they borrowed from Snipe.

Kazuto turned his head to the group, "Oh hey! You're bac-" He paused as he took in the sight of them all.

Hide drenched in sweat, carrying not only Junko and Anzu, but what appeared to be several shopping bags, as well as a few backpacks and a purse.

Junko staring upward with a blank expression.

Anzu's eyes still closed tightly, clearly rattled.

Endo and a bruised Riku... holding _hands_?

Something inside of Kazuto hurt a little.

Ryuji's jaw dropped, "What happened to you guys?"

The five of them answered with a quick and simple response, " _ **Shopping.**_ "

Ryuji and Kazuto remained planted on the couch, dumbfounded and unable to come to a conclusion. The shoppers continued their crusade up the stairs, to the right wing of the fifth floor. After groggily trudging up the staircase, they had reached their destination. Junko dug into her pockets and handed Hide her room key.

"You... need me to open the door?" he asked incredulously, his stamina at the very limit.

"Do you really need an answer to that question?" Riku replied curtly.

The pink-haired boy sighed deeply, before inserting the key into the lock of Junko's door and unlocking it with a decisive turn.

The group shuffled into the modestly spacious abode, admiring the neatness of it all. Anzu hopped off of Hide's back, leaving him able to gently lay Junko on her bed. He will never forget this trial he underwent. Carrying two girls and their belongings as they fled from a crime scene, standing and absorbing the gazes of multiple people on the train home, and climbing five flights of stairs.

His stamina is without a doubt, unmatched among his peers.

* * *

Thursday, April 20th 6:07 p.m.

The sun had descended below the horizon, once again marking the sky with a myriad of warm colors. The glass door leading to the veranda was left un-curtained, allowing all of the current inhabitants of Junko's room to enjoy the sight.

Riku bit into a thick towel as Anzu set his shoulder back into place. A muffled groan escaped out of his throat and through the fabric.

Endo pat the boy on the back, while Hide removed the tags from the newly purchased clothes before folding them, and organizing the accessories.

" _Ouch_... Oh _man_ , that fuckin' hurt..." breathed Riku, raising his newly set shoulder several times. After confirming it was properly relocated, he removed his shirt, exposing his toned physique.

Endo and Anzu quickly averted their eyes, still coming to terms with the fact that most of their classmates were in great shape.

Junko began to relax, laying in bed as Hide tucked her in with a blanket.

A warm white flame grew from Riku's palm and dimly lit the room, entrancing everyone witnessing its beauty. He raised the flame, smoothly pressing it against his exposed shoulder. The pain began to dissipate as his torn ligaments and tissue slowly healed. After a dozen seconds or so, he removed his hand from his shoulder.

"That'll be sore for about a week or two..." he huffed, catching his breath after using his quirk for a prolonged period of time. "Now... for the big one."

He raised his left hand, doing his best to fight off remembering how Endo's hand feels in his, and clasped it with his right.

Immediately, he groaned painstakingly loud.

Renka sat on her bed next door, jumping as she heard a boy moan next door.

Endo and Anzu quickly grabbed the thick towel he previously bit into, and pressed it against his mouth, successfully muting his pained noises.

" _Keep it down, idiot!_ " Endo hissed, " _People are gonna get the wrong idea!_ "

Riku would raise a middle finger if his hands weren't occupied. For now he settled with an aggressive stare.

Slowly, the pain began to fade away from his palm. Unfortunately, the extended use of his healing ability began to take it's toll. He was haggard, and dark bags grew just below his glassy eyes. Beads of sweat began descending down his face, and continued down his body. Riku was seconds away from passing out, but he knew he needed to fix his hand the most. He was left-handed! He could deal with a sore shoulder, but not an unusable dominant hand.

Just as his eyelids began to lower, he was jolted awake by Endo's cold hands pressing against his cheeks.

"Don't fall asleep now, you're almost there," she encouraged.

With a groggy but determined nod, he continued until his hand was completely healed. He grinned like he was drunk, before his head nodded back, exposing his rolled-back eyes.

Endo, Anzu and Hide stifled an uproarious laugh at Riku's silly appearance. Endo took a picture of him passed out, and sent it to the group chat.

"When should we wake him?" Anzu inquired, wiping a tear as she giggled.

"Let's give him like, twenty minutes?" Hide offered, "He's had a long day."

Endo tilted her head, "Yeah, I guess we can give him that." She saved the sleeping survivor to her phone.

* * *

Thursday, April 20th 6:30 p.m.

After several attempts of waking Riku up, they had finally managed to bring him back from the realm of slumber, using a feather to brush his ear. He gasped loudly, as his eyes gradually opened.

" _Wha..t the fuh..._ " he murmured, looking around as he laid on the floor, his head resting on one of Junko's pillows.

Endo jumped as he came to, stuffing the feather she used to wake him up under Junko's bed, out of sight.

Riku slowly rose, putting more of his weight on his right side, blearily gazing upon his surroundings.

Hide, Anzu and Junko sat comfortably on the carpeted floor of the room. Once they had noticed him awakening, they paused their conversation to check his condition.

"You're awake!" chirped Hide, sliding forward with his proper knee-sitting posture.

"Do not be so loud Hide," said Anzu with a soft-spoken voice.

Riku rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, his condition unchanged. He leaned forward, propping his head on his right hand, while balancing his elbow on his right knee.

"Why did you wake me?" he drawled.

"We need to talk about what happened," Anzu answered. She retrieved her wallet from her purse, and dug out her U.A. I.D. card. "That thief was after this."

Endo's eyes narrowed as she studied the card, "It's the ticket into campus. Any villain would want that."

Junko cut in as she wrapped herself around with her blanket, "He... He wanted to get into the school? A villain hasn't successfully infiltrated U.A. in years..."

"Did you see his appearance?" asked Anzu.

"Yeah, giant menacing metal man. Kind of hard to miss," joked Hide, quickly shrinking as Anzu's nonchalant stare pierced into him.

"He stuck some sort of needle into his arm, injecting himself with some kind of steroid. He was just an ordinary-looking guy before that," Anzu replied.

Endo crossed her arms and huffed, "Ordinary-looking _thief_."

 _His quirks... It's impossible. It's like someone pasted a bunch of random abilities into one guy._

Riku thought to himself, and then opened his mouth to speak his mind, "That guy... he had multiple quirks. He had... a horn he could extend and retract, silver skin, and he grew in size." A small groan rumbled in his throat, as his fatigue peaked.

"What's so odd about that? Don't you have multiple quirks too?" Hide questioned, leaning against Junko's bed, resting from a long day.

"That's not-" Riku paused, shrugging off the conversation, "I guess..."

 _It's probably better if I don't mention that._

"By the way, I've been checking the top stories on the internet, and this incident hadn't shown up," said Junko, scrolling through the news on her phone. "After some more digging, I managed to find an article with a fair amount of hits. It only mentions that there was an unknown individual battling it out with a villain that went out of control."

"Shit... were there any photos?" asked Riku.

"Only of the aftermath," she replied.

The group managed a sigh of relief, afraid of the consequences of getting involved with such an event.

A cold sweat trailed down Riku's armpits as his thoughts began to connect. All of the information given to him, Rock and Kazuto after the entrance exam began to correlate with the events that had transpired earlier that day.

 _I'm gonna have to talk to them about this. Maybe tomorrow..._

"So, me and Anzu had just finished shopping, and then out of nowhere, this thief comes and snatches her purse!" spouted Junko.

The group continued to discuss their hectic day, addressing the strangeness of it all. They had reached a consensus to not disclose any information about what happened today to anyone. Riku planned on telling two others, but for the most part his lips were sealed.

The background seemed to melt together as Riku's eyes narrowed into a squint, leading to a long yawn. He was thoroughly exhausted.

He managed to mutter just loud enough for the others to hear, " _I think I'm gonna go to bed..._ " Riku breathed sharply as he slowly arose.

Hide attempted to stand to assist his friend, only to fall backwards onto Junko's bed. Although he had an absurd amount of stamina, it was not limitless.

Endo uncrossed her legs and stood, shuffling across the carpet, pausing next to a struggling Riku. Gripping his hips, the boy jolted at the cold touch. With one fluid and steady motion, she pulled him to his feet, and ducked under his right arm to provide support.

Although she was unperturbed by the sweat from his bare skin pressing upon her, she felt she had to speak up, "Riku, before I help you to your room, you should probably... put on a shirt. Holding hands is one thing, but lugging you around like _this_? I'm not trying to get that kind of attention from people."

With mumble of affirmation, he reached for his shirt, neatly folded next to Hide on Junko's bed. Taking a fair amount of time, he managed to properly slip on the clothing.

"Junko will bring you your backpack later," Endo promised, bringing the boy's arm around her shoulders once again.

The aforementioned girl quietly whined, " _What?_ "

"Well, good night guys. I'll see you tomorrow," said the platinum-blonde-haired girl, waving a loose hand.

Riku grumbled half-consciously, the group generously accepting it as a good night.

The two sauntered out of the room, looking to the elevator sitting next to the entrance to the staircase.

Endo groused to herself, " _Why didn't we take the elevator earlier?_ "

She made her way to the elevator, trying to keep Riku awake as his feet began to drag.

Pushing the button labeled with the number three, the doors of the elevator closed.

Riku looked to his left palm as an idea hatched in his head, "O-ouch..."

Endo turned her head curiously.

"My... my hand still stings... Ough, it's almost unbearable..."

She sighed, "Riku, are you trying to get me to hold your hand again?"

He froze.

"Nice try."

* * *

Meanwhile, Hide shifted forward on the bed, sliding his feet down to the floor, his bottom still resting on the comfortable mattress. He reached slowly for his backpack, managing to fit it properly onto his back.

He brought a finger to his cheek and scratched gingerly, "I should probably get going t-too... Thank you for letting me stay in your room, it's lovely. Well, here I go..."

Hide pushed off of the bed with his palms and rose to his feet, although hesitant to take a step, he brought himself forward slowly. His " _miracle legs_ " shook like an old man's, bringing his trudging to a stop. Embarrassed at his legs' sorry state, he froze up.

Junko paused, "I'm going to go use the restroom. Have a good night you guys." She promptly took off and left for her restroom.

Hide watched in disbelief as Junko avoided the situation.

"Would you like a hand?" asked Anzu softly, approaching the pink-haired boy.

"You'd do that for me?" Hide perked up, a too-honest-for-his-own-good smile curling on his face.

She nodded, "Of course. You helped so much today. It's the least I could do."

Anzu attempted to mimic Endo's technique of supporting from under the arm, but failed to account for Hide's massive height. Taking a different approach, she stood on Hide's right side, and raised his arm with her hands. She lowered her right hand under his own, instructing him to firmly take hold. Afterwards, she faced his side and placed her left hand under his elbow. As they walked, he could press his arm down onto her hands for support.

"Alright, shall we go?" she asked.

With a nod, they walked out of the room, gently closing the door. Together, they proceeded to the elevator. Once inside, she raised a finger to the floor buttons.

"Oh, I'm on the 4th floor," he said.

She replied with a small hum of affirmation before pushing the button for the fourth floor. The doors of the elevator shut, and the small jump indicated they were moving downward.

"Hide, may I ask you a question?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"Why did you decide to refuse our offer to go shopping? I think you would have had fun with Junko and I. I would've had more fun if you were there."

Hide struggled to properly articulate his thoughts, but opened his mouth anyways to avoid a moment of silence, "Uhm... W-well, I..."

Anzu tilted her head, indicating he had her attention.

Unable to bend the truth, it seeped out of his throat, "I... thought I'd be too awkward around girls. I've never had an easy time talking or being around them."

The elevator decelerated to a crawl, before ceasing its motion.

"Hide, you carried Junko in your arms. You carried me on your back. You even spent quite a bit of time in a girl's room."

" _Tha_... that was the first time I was in a girl's room too..." he sputtered, his expression loosening.

"And Hide," she paused, raising his arm with her hold still intact, "I'm holding on to you right now, helping you walk. I don't think you are awkward at all."

Up until this point, all of the panic and exhaustion had caused him to ignore everything she had listed. He glanced to Anzu, and her gentle hands cradling his long arm. For a moment, he turned entirely pink to match his hair.

"Are you alright?" she exclaimed, further clinging to him.

The elevator door opened.

He quickly pried off her grip, and took her hand in his. With a surge of vigor, he shook her hand enthusiastically. "Thank you for everything! I really, really appreciate it!"

Using his final burst of strength, he leaped to his room's door with his quirk and unlocked his door in record time. Waving a flustered hand to the girl in the elevator, he quickly hopped inside of his room.

Anzu heard a small thud after the door closed, assuming he had fallen from fatigue. She smiled warmly, before pushing her dorm's floor button on the elevator.

* * *

Endo and Riku approached their stop, standing before a door with a panel to the left labeled " _Akutagawa Riku._ "

"Well, here we are," Endo commented, slowly raising the boy's right arm so she could slip away from his hold. "You feeling okay?"

He lightly pulled at the dark bag under his right eye with his pointer finger, satiating a slight itch. "Yeah, thanks for helping me get here."

"... Thank you."

"For?"

Endo slowly approached the wall they faced, and leaned back against it, raising her eyes to the ceiling.

"You know, you got Anzu's purse and everything."

"Oh. That was no problem."

 _I completely forgot. I just wanted to fight that guy... I was ecstatic when he became that monster-thing, and I got to go head-to-head using my quirk._

Riku's thoughts paused, prompting him to look towards his feet with half-lidded eyes.

 _He... ended up dying. I don't think the rest of these guys looked back. That thief is gone now._

The boy wasn't sad, rather he felt slightly empty. Fighting that man made him feel alive. It made him feel good. It broke the usual routine.

He recalled being given a business card from Detective Naomasa, that rest comfortably in his wallet.

 _No... I don't think I'll call him._

Two boys crept into his mind. One with soft-fluffy hair, the other bespectacled and nerdy.

 _I'll tell them. Tomorrow._

A soft voice snapped him out of his stupor and prompted him to look up.

"Hello? You in there?" Endo joked with a smirk, gently poking him in the forehead.

Riku blinked, his attention successfully captured.

"Thank you."

He grinned, "You thanked me already."

"No, thank you for saving me."

"...Anytime."

Riku reached into his pocket, and unlocked his door with the room key. He turned to his friend, prepared to bid her good night.

She extended her hand, her eyes moving from her hand to his face repeatedly, not so subtly gesturing for a handshake.

"Oh, _now_ you wanna hold my hand?" Riku joked, folding his arms.

"You're still salty about that?" she asked incredulously.

The two stared in silence for no more than a few seconds, leading to an short burst of shared laughter.

Finding a moment of opportunity in all of the amusement, she tugged him towards her by his shirt as she stood on her toes.

Riku was met with the alien sensation of a soft, chilled pair of lips pressing against his right cheek.

It was just a quick peck.

She wished him a good night as she departed.

The boy fell backwards, the door catching him.

He slowly slid down the door as he watched the icy maiden make her exit, content with the fact she had discovered a weakness of his.

 _Yep, that broke the routine._

* * *

 _Wow! Longest Chapter Yet! Wowie Wowie Zowie! Thank you for reading! I was struggling with this chapter for quite some time. It warms my heart to know it's finally complete. Coming next, the sports festival! It'll be hectic! Please leave a comment, I would appreciate any criticism. Thank you again!_


	10. S2: Late Meeting

_This story is heavily based off of the anime/manga series "Boku no Hero Academia". This work of fiction may contain spoilers towards the series, as well as references and characters. I do not own any of the references or characters from the original series that may appear in this story. This work and its original characters are fictional, any resemblance to real people living or dead is purely coincidental._

 **To be unique, is to be one of a kind, unlike anything else. What does that mean in a world where everyone is unique?**

 _The world has transformed dramatically. Unique abilities that are normally impossible for an average human to achieve, are now commonplace. Nearly 80% of all of humanity is equipped with some sort of ability or mutation. These unique traits are known as "quirks". When individuals are given power, they are capable of making decisions that can affect others._

 _This story is not comprised of a single hero._

* * *

Friday, April 21st 1:32 a.m.

The curtains hanging over his glass sliding door were cast aside, allowing the moonlight to cut through the darkness. Upon the dorm room's bed laid Riku, unable to bring himself to sleep even though he was physically drained. The events of the day before had continued to linger in his mind.

Part of him felt an unbearable excitement. He was able to fight to his heart's content, although he would have preferred to continue after his opponent began to stand once again.

...No.

After a moment of contemplation, he determined that would've been a poor choice. He was already injured after the first round of combat, his wounds would have left him unable to put up a good fight. Perhaps he should thank Endo for stopping him at that point. Still, it was a level of combat he'd never experienced before. Specifically, the moment he had jumped in to protect his friend. That was the sharpest he had ever felt, like a brand-new army knife.

Once again, he felt his heart squeeze. Riku found himself holding one of his pillows tightly. It somehow made him feel a little better.

Then there was Endo. He could swear he still felt the touch of her lips lingering on his cheek.

He thought he had overcome his sudden feelings for her long ago. Unfortunately, they came back with the force of a two-ton truck. Shaking his head in an attempt to dismiss these intrusive thoughts, had only given him a severe headache. He was in no condition to be moving around so frantically.

Another thought had managed to cling to him stronger than either of the two combined. The feelings that bounced in his chest were near ineffable. The boy would take time out of his sleeping schedule in order to bring the words out.

He'd witnessed someone being killed for the first time in his life. It's not surprising that it had taken this long to finally start to affect him, given that he was distracted by the company of his friends for an extended period of time. Now that he was all by himself, surrounded by a multitude of thoughts, he had no choice but to pay them mind. It wasn't like watching a movie, with blood and guts spilling out in grotesque fashion. This execution was _haunting_ , watching a man simply crumble and fade into the wind. There was no trace left of him at all.

Everything about the thief had led Riku to the conclusion that he was involved with the League of Villains. He had multiple quirks, that had seemed so bizarrely mismatched. Almost as if they were randomly chosen out of a shopping mart's bargain bin. Could he have been an experiment? A low-valued pawn? The thief kept muttering to himself, as if he already had a foot in the grave. Desperately trying to steal Anzu's U.A. I.D. card, as if his life _depended_ on it, like it was his last chance or something. He willingly injected himself with Trigger, the drug Detective Naomasa had warned Riku and the others about. The drug that bestows incredible power, but at the cost of your reasoning.

Shortly after Riku and the others escaped, the man was killed by a mysterious stranger. Riku's eyesight was blurry from his fatigue, leaving him unable to make out the silhouette. All that was clear, was that the thief slowly faded away as he bellowed in an excruciatingly sickening way. Could it have been _All For One_ who finished him off?

His eyelids lowered halfway as he continued his thoughts, facing the moonlight.

 _No... All For One was locked up in maximum security. The one more likely to have done it is Shigaraki Tomura, the new leader of the League of Villains._

The boy's eyes shot wide open, as his ideas started to piece together.

 _That would explain the disintegration... According to articles and video clips I've seen online, Shigaraki has a disintegration quirk. Wait, the thief's quirks were taken away right then and there before he died. Does that mean that Shigaraki can give and take quirks now? How is that possible? Did All For One give him the ability before he was imprisoned? Did he... break out? No, it would've been all over the news. Wait, maybe they're covering it up? Did Shigaraki enter the prison to reach All For One?_

He clutched his head as it throbbed, overheating from all of the thinking. There wasn't enough information for him to come to a reasonable conclusion. Too many possibilities.

His phone vibrated, the light of the screen illuminating the remaining darkened areas of the room.

It was a text from Rock.

 _"hey, you up? i was just about to make some hot cocoa you want some?"_

A small wave of relief passed through Riku after hearing from someone familiar.

He'd planned on telling everything to Rock and Kazuto the next day.

Technically, it was the next day already.

* * *

 _ **rikuraku**_ has added **_littlerock02_** , _**kazu**_ to the group chat.

rikuraku: guys

rikuraku: are u awake

littlerock02: yo did u get my text

rikuraku: yes

littlerock02: so cocoa? :D

rikuraku: yeah but i gotta tlak to you guys

littlerock02: ok

 _ **littlerock02 has changed the group name to "the boys"**_

kazu: why are you guys awake

rikuraku: scroll up

rikuraku: actually wtf you dont even gotta scroll up

rikuraku: just use ur eyes theres not alot of messages

littlerock02: LOL

kazu: ok... what do u have to talk about at 2 am

kazu: some of us are trying to sleep?

littlerock02: ur kinda hostile kazu

littlerock02: everything ok?

kazu: nothing

kazu: just tired

rikuraku: moving onn

rikuraku: lets sneak to the living room and get that cocoa

kazu: why not just use this chat

kazu: we're not allowed t o go out past curfew

littlerock02: cmon kazu, ur hangin with the cool kids now

littlerock02: and cool kids dont follow the rules

kazu: wh at

littlerock02: ok but serouisly, if snipe comes by im hiding real quick

littlerock02: i dont want him to hat eme even more

rikuraku: this is important guys

rikuraku: leave immediately, we talk asap

kazu: ok

rikuraku: WAIT

littlerock02: what

rikuraku: i cant stand up

rikuraku: u guys gotta come here

littlerock02: are you serious

rikuraku: yes

kazu: you cant walk downstairs?

rikuraku: yes

littlerock02: but like

littlerock02: i dont wanna go down, get cocoa, and go back up to ur room

rikuraku: fucking do it

rikuraku: this is really important

* * *

Riku pressed the topmost button on the right side of his phone, turning off the screen. Groaning, he shifted his position, letting his feet hang over his bed. Exhaling sharply, his feet descended to the soft carpet. Managing to maintain a hunched stance, he shuffled his feet forward. Approaching his door, he raised his left arm and managed to unlock his door to let the others in.

After several minutes, Kazuto let himself into the room. He had unintentionally revealed an apathetic stare as he laid eyes upon Riku, laying exhausted on his bed. Quickly shaking off his expression, he properly offered his greetings and leaned against the west wall as they waited for Rock to arrive.

Nearly sixteen minutes after Riku had invited the two boys, Rock had finally made an appearance as he peered into the room after opening the door ever so slightly. In his right hand he held a checker-patterned thermos containing piping hot chocolate.

"Sorry," Rock said in a hushed tone, "Were you guys waiting long?"

Kazuto shrugged with a small scoff, "I just wish you didn't take your time. It's almost like 2:30."

" _Sorry...!_ I'm here now, let's talk," squeaked Rock.

The fluffy-haired boy approached his bedridden friend, his brows knitting together into a concerned expression. "What happened to... Did you use your right hand again?"

Riku ignored his question and shakily extended his right arm towards the two, revealing Detective Naomasa's business card.

"Remember this?" he whispered.

Kazuto and Rock exchanged worried glances, before inching closer to the familiar paper. A wave of disgust brushes through Kazuto, bringing the bespectacled boy to grasp his neck.

Riku places the business card on a small desk to his right, and turns to face the two boys.

"This is what happened," he begins.

* * *

As the length explanation deepens, the boys share their thoughts as well as hot chocolate that didn't seem too warm anymore, and some pleasant low-key music.

"So... you _saw_ Shigaraki? The _leader_ of the League of Villains?" Rock questions incredulously, leaning forward to further accentuate his inquiry.

"Yes," Riku stated plainly.

"That's what makes sense," Kazuto mentioned, taking a sip from his hot chocolate. "It seems Shigaraki had found that the _'thief'_ had outlived his usefulness. Well, that's what we're assuming anyways. The only thing that can concretely tie the two people together, is the fact that the thief had multiple mismatched quirks, and Shigaraki is able to steal and bestow them. Based on those two facts, it's likely that the two were connected."

"Yeah, Shigaraki stole the thief's quirks and then disintegrated him before disappearing," the tired boy muttered.

"Why did he want Anzu's I.D. card though?" Rock questioned.

"Well, it's easy access to U.A. He's been known for attacking the school in the past. I'm sure we don't have to rack our brains too hard to figure out what he was planning," Kazuto replied.

Riku's hypothesis, with the help of the discussion with Rock and Kazuto, had shaped into a more solid idea. They had reached a consensus that the mysterious figure that was seen was Shigaraki Tomura, the new leader of the League of Villains, who had inherited All For One's abilities. Either that or All For One himself had somehow escaped his imprisonment in maximum security and had taken Shigaraki's disintegration quirk, or had an incredibly similar one. The latter seemed less likely.

"What do we do now?" Rock asked softly, looking to his feet as he sat in a crossed-leg position.

"What do you mean? We aren't doing anything!" spouted Kazuto, the sudden shift in movement knocking his glasses askew.

Suddenly, they were feeling incredibly in over their heads.

"I told you both this information because I thought you deserved to know. If we tell Naomasa, I'm probably going to be expelled. He and the Principal _specifically_ told us not to get involved," Riku expressed, snapping his eyes to the two boys.

"Wha... _Expelled_?" Rock croaked, his grip on the thermos tightening.

"Then why did you get involved, Riku?" Kazuto asks, replying to his gaze in kind.

"I was helping Anzu get her shit back, remember? It's not like I ran out looking for the fucking League of Villains."

"Fighting some robber in the streets, and even ending up using your quirk? You may not have been looking for the _'fucking League of Villains'_ , but it sure sounds like you were out looking for _trouble_ ," the bespectacled boy fires back, crossing his thin arms as his brows furrow.

"Hey!-" Riku's voice caught in his throat, "I did what I had to! You weren't even-"

His tirade was cut short by Rock standing, extending his hands to both of them to intervene.

"It's late, we shouldn't raise our voices," said Rock.

Riku and Kazuto stopped, and gave their attention to the boy who interjected.

"It sounds like this information could really help the police in their investigation... We don't even know how much they really know,"

Rock slouched as he continued with his explanation, crestfallen.

"But I don't think we should tell. I... I know it's selfish and all, but I really don't want Riku to get expelled or anything. I mean, as far as I'm concerned, he saved the day. He might've broken the rules to do it, but he did it! No one was hurt!"

The boy's downtrodden expression slowly brightened as he continued in his small speech.

"He doesn't deserve to get expelled."

Riku could only look to his friend with a near-blank expression.

Kazuto slowly blinked, and then looked towards the two with acceptance in his eyes. "Then... this is our secret, right?"

"Kazuto...!" Rock chirped.

"H-Hey, come on. It's not like I _wanted_ Riku to get expelled. It just seems like this is important stuff that could help Mr. Naomasa."

Rock and Kazuto began to share a laugh, leaving Riku to turn to the veranda and gaze at the moon. His eyelids lowered as his lips curled upward.

Somehow it always ended up like this. Light and easy.

Riku turned back to face the two boys, "Oh, I forgot to tell you guys! Guess what Endo-"

Kazuto quickly stood up and cut him off, "Alright, that's enough for one night. I've got to go to bed."

"Oh... I guess it is pretty late. We have class in like, five hours..." groaned Rock, running his fingers through his hair.

As their blue-haired friend inched towards the door, they noticed he stood still for a couple of seconds before facing them once again.

"Riku," Kazuto aimed his right pointer finger to Riku's face, "You might've gotten ahead of me just a little bit, but mark my words. I'll win her in the end."

With a huff thrown in for good measure, he left the dark room. Rock and Riku remained still, dumbfounded by the challenging words spouted by their friend.

"What is he talking about?" Rock asked curiously.

"Nothin', Endo kissed me and now he's jealous."

Rock fell over.

Soon the night would be over, and class would begin again.

* * *

 _Just a little inbetweener chapter, trying to get Riku to talk to his boys about what the heck just happened previously. He probably won't make it to class since he's so worn out. Seriously, using his right hand to heal really messes with his stamina._

 _Glad he could tell his friends about his near-death experience. He wasn't necessarily about to die, but he was near to death. Ha._


End file.
